Catheter Breach Loop Feedback Fault Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cryosurgical systems often experience false-positive fault detections due to external interference, such as electromagnetic interference, leading to unnecessary system shutdowns and mechanical or electrical wear, which can delay medical procedures and cause excessive wear on the system.

Innovation Solution

A fault-detection mechanism with a detector verification controller that determines the correlation between the driver output signal and the signal received by the detector, distinguishing between true and false-positive fault conditions by setting a predetermined threshold, typically above 80%, to avoid unnecessary alerts and system shutdowns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a leak detection mechanism is implemented to detect fluid ingress, then system safety is improved, but false-positive detections occur due to electromagnetic interference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault detection accuracyVSAvoidelectromagnetic interference
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback by monitoring the detector signal when the driver is inactive and comparing it to a baseline established when the driver is active. This feedback mechanism allows the system to distinguish between true fluid ingress and electromagnetic interference, resolving the contradiction between detection sensitivity and false-positive reduction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the driver state between active and inactive modes to collect different signal states. By analyzing the detector output across these dynamic states, the system can identify patterns indicative of true faults versus interference, improving reliability while maintaining sensitivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the system shuts down upon fault detection to ensure safety, then patient welfare is protected, but procedure time increases due to false positives

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient safetyVSAvoidprocedure delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The feedback mechanism compares detector signals across different driver states to verify true faults before triggering system shutdown. This verification process eliminates false-positive shutdowns while maintaining safety for genuine fluid ingress events, thus protecting patient welfare without unnecessary procedure delays

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary verification by analyzing detector signals in both active and inactive driver states before initiating a shutdown. This preliminary action distinguishes true faults from interference, ensuring safety shutdowns only occur when necessary and preventing unnecessary procedure delays

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If frequent system shutdowns occur due to false positives, then detection sensitivity is maintained, but mechanical and electrical wear increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault detection sensitivityVSAvoidmechanical and electrical wear
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The feedback mechanism verifies true faults by comparing detector signals across driver states before triggering shutdowns. This verification reduces unnecessary shutdowns caused by electromagnetic interference, thereby maintaining detection sensitivity while significantly reducing mechanical and electrical wear from frequent unnecessary system stops

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3310283B1Catheter breach loop feedback fault detection with active and inactive driver system
Publication Date: 2022.01.26 MEDTRONIC INC
  • EP3310283B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3310283B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3310283B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

A fault-detection method, system, and device for a cryosurgical system that avoids a false-positive detection of a fault condition, such as fluid ingress within the system. The fault-detection mechanism may generally include a driver having an active mode and an inactive mode, the driver generating an output signal when the driver is in active mode, a detector, the detector capable of receiving the driver output signal, and a detector verification controller in communication with the driver and the detector, the detector verification controller changing the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode when the detector receives the driver output signal. The controller may determine a true fault condition if the controller determines there is a correlation between the signal received by the detector and the driver output signal. All other possible fault conditions may be ignored if the controller determines that the signals are not correlated.