Blood Flow Control Devices With Sensor-Based Error Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices, particularly balloon catheters, are prone to errors due to damage during shipment, setup, or wear and tear, which can lead to life-threatening consequences when automatically controlling blood flow without error detection and response.
Innovation Solution
A blood flow control system with sensors and controllers that monitor physiologic conditions and pressures, identify errors, and transition to a manual mode or inhibit functions to prevent unsafe operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated blood flow control is implemented, then productivity and precision of blood flow management are improved, but reliability deteriorates due to undetected errors from damage or wear
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary error detection by comparing current sensor data with historical data and expected physiologic responses before automated adjustments are made. This advance detection of potential errors (such as sensor failures or unexpected physiologic changes) allows the system to alert operators and prevent unsafe automated operations, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving automated productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where sensor data from the blood flow control device is constantly monitored, compared with target values and historical patterns, and used to generate alerts when deviations indicate potential errors. This feedback mechanism ensures that automated operations remain reliable by detecting and reporting issues before they lead to harmful outcomes
2Reliability
If error detection and response systems are added, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The error detection system leverages the existing sensor infrastructure already present in automated blood flow control devices for their primary measurement functions. By repurposing these sensors to also perform error detection and comparison with historical data, the system achieves enhanced reliability without adding separate dedicated sensor systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis by automatically comparing its own sensor readings against expected physiologic responses and historical data patterns. This self-monitoring capability allows the device to detect its own errors and alert operators without requiring external monitoring equipment, thus improving reliability while minimizing additional system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for blood flow control are described herein. In some variations, a blood flow control system may comprise a blood flow control device. The blood flow control device may be placed within a body of a patient and may comprise an expandable member and a sensor. The sensor may be configured to measure at least one of a physiologic condition of the patient and a pressure associated with the expandable member. The blood flow control system may include at least one controller communicably coupled to the sensor to: receive data indicative of at least one of the physiologic condition of the patient and the pressure associated with the expandable member from the sensor, compare the received data with target data, identify at least one error based on the comparison, and in response to identifying the error, inhibit at least one function of the blood flow control system.