Adaptive Advertising Schedule for Implantable Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) telemetry protocols cause an undue drain on implantable medical device (IMD) batteries due to inconsistent connectivity and high power consumption, particularly when external instruments (EIs) fail to connect during initial scanning intervals, leading to prolonged battery drain and connectivity issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an uneven and adaptive advertising schedule for IMDs and scanning schedule for EIs, where advertisement notices are transmitted with varying intervals and scanning windows are dynamically adjusted to optimize connectivity and reduce power consumption, including the use of a pseudo-scanning schedule to maintain high duty cycles and ensure timely connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If advertisement notices are transmitted at a lower frequency to conserve current drain, then battery life is extended, but connectivity reliability deteriorates due to missed advertisement notices and prolonged connection establishment time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the advertising frequency adaptive rather than static. The IMD transmitter dynamically adjusts the interval between advertisement notices based on connection status: using shorter intervals when connection is needed and longer intervals when connected or no connection is attempted, thereby optimizing both power consumption and connectivity reliability in different operational states
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of advertising interval from a fixed constant to a variable parameter that can take different values based on connection state. The system transitions between at least two different advertising frequencies, allowing optimization of the trade-off between power consumption and connection reliability by selecting appropriate parameters for different operational contexts
2Reliability
If advertisement notices are transmitted at constant predetermined frequency per wireless protocol, then connectivity consistency is maintained, but battery life is reduced due to excessive current drain
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static constant-frequency advertising to dynamic adaptive-frequency advertising. The transmitter dynamically adjusts advertising intervals based on real-time connection state, maintaining protocol compliance when needed while conserving energy during connected or idle states
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic action with variable periods. Instead of continuous constant-frequency transmission, the system uses periodic advertising with adjustable periods that adapt to connection requirements, allowing the IMD to enter lower-power states between advertising cycles when connection is not attempted or already established
3Reliability
If external instrument monitoring period is extended to catch advertisement notices, then connection success rate improves, but power consumption of external instrument increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from the connection establishment process to adjust advertising behavior. When the external instrument attempts to connect, the IMD detects this and adjusts its advertising frequency accordingly, providing feedback that helps synchronize advertising transmission with scanning periods, improving connection success while allowing the external instrument to use shorter monitoring periods
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by adjusting the advertising schedule in anticipation of connection attempts. The IMD prepares appropriate advertising intervals before connection is attempted, ensuring that advertisements are transmitted at optimal times to coincide with external instrument scanning windows, thereby improving connection success without requiring extended monitoring periods
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for managing establishment of a communications link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD) are provided. The method stores, in a memory in at least one of the IMD or the EI, a base scanning schedule that defines a pattern for scanning windows over a scanning state. The method enters the scanning state during which a receiver scans for advertisement notices during the scanning windows. At least a portion of the scanning windows are grouped in a first segment of the scanning state. The method stores, in the memory, a scan reset pattern for restarting the scanning state. Further, the method automatically restarts the scanning state based on the scan reset pattern to form a pseudo-scanning schedule that differs from the base scanning schedule and establishes a communication session between the IMD and the EI.