Adaptive Filter for Medical Fluid Signal Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Medical fluid handling apparatuses face challenges in distinguishing between normal operation and malfunction, especially in low-flow situations for lightweight patients, where sensor signals may be noisy due to mechanical disturbances, making it difficult to prevent critical states and alarms.

Innovation Solution

A method involving continuous signal processing using an adaptive filter, such as a Kalman filter, to predict the state of the medical fluid handling apparatus, providing a user interface with indications of the operation's deviation from the prescribed state, including noise level estimation, to help operators avoid critical situations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If sensor signals are monitored directly without filtering, then the operator can see real-time data, but the noisy signals make it difficult to distinguish between normal operation and malfunction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal clarityVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary filtering of sensor signals using adaptive filters (such as Kalman filters) before presenting the data to the operator. This preprocessing step removes noise and mechanical disturbances from the signals, allowing clear distinction between normal operation and malfunction conditions without requiring complex real-time analysis by the operator.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

An adaptive filter acts as an intermediary between the noisy sensor signals and the operator interface. The filter processes the raw sensor data, eliminating noise while preserving meaningful signal variations, thereby enabling accurate detection of critical states without directly exposing the operator to noisy raw data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If alarm functions are implemented to indicate critical states, then safety is improved, but alarms may be triggered falsely by noisy sensor signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealarm accuracyVSAvoidfalse alarms
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies adaptive filtering to sensor signals before evaluating them for alarm conditions. By preprocessing the signals to remove noise and mechanical disturbances, the system ensures that alarm triggers are based on genuine malfunction conditions rather than signal noise, thereby reducing false alarms while maintaining high alarm accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The adaptive filter continuously adjusts its parameters based on the characteristics of the incoming sensor signals, learning to distinguish between normal operational variations and genuine malfunction conditions. This feedback mechanism improves the reliability of alarm detection over time while minimizing false triggers caused by noisy signals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If the operator is provided with detailed sensor data, then monitoring capability is improved, but the operator may be overwhelmed by noisy and difficult-to-interpret signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation qualityVSAvoidoperator workload
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary processing of sensor signals using adaptive filters before presenting data to the operator. This preprocessing removes noise and mechanical disturbances, providing the operator with clean, interpretable data that maintains full information quality without requiring the operator to filter through noisy raw signals manually.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

An adaptive signal processing system serves as an intermediary between the sensor and the operator interface. It transforms noisy raw sensor data into clean, meaningful information while preserving all relevant operational data, thereby improving information quality without increasing operator workload.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3234824B1Method of displaying a predicted state, medical apparatus and computer program
Publication Date: 2020.10.07 GAMBRO LUNDIA AB
  • EP3234824B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3234824B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3234824B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method of displaying a predicted state of a medical apparatus, and a medical apparatus employing the method are disclosed. The method comprises receiving a sensor signal from a sensor of the medical apparatus, filtering the sensor signal by an adaptive filter such that a predicted signal is achieved, determining a state from the predicted signal, and displaying an indication through a user interface of the medical apparatus based on the determined state.