Implantable Defibrillator Short Circuit Fault Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable medical devices (IMDs) face challenges in delivering high-energy therapies effectively due to short circuit faults that redirect current away from the heart, disrupting the delivery of defibrillation shocks for life-threatening arrhythmias.
Innovation Solution
The IMD detects short circuit faults during high-energy therapy delivery and adapts by selecting subsequent therapy configurations based on the electrode vector, waveform, and phase of the biphasic waveform, allowing it to bypass faults and ensure robust therapy delivery by stepping through various configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the IMD uses a fixed therapy configuration for defibrillation delivery, then the device structure is simple, but the reliability deteriorates due to short circuit faults redirecting current away from the heart
Solution Approach 1:
The IMD dynamically adjusts therapy configuration by switching between multiple predefined configurations based on detected short circuit faults. The system transitions from a static fixed configuration to a dynamic adaptive configuration system that responds to fault conditions, ensuring reliable therapy delivery despite component failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by selecting different therapy configurations with varying electrode vectors, waveforms, and energy levels. When a short circuit fault is detected, the IMD modifies delivery parameters by switching to an alternative configuration that bypasses the faulty pathway, maintaining effective current delivery to the heart.
2Reliability
If the IMD implements adaptive therapy configuration switching, then the reliability improves by bypassing short circuit faults, but the device complexity increases due to multiple therapy configurations and detection mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The therapy delivery system is segmented into multiple independent configurations, each with distinct electrode vectors and waveform parameters. This segmentation allows the system to isolate and bypass faulty pathways by switching to alternative segmented configurations, improving fault tolerance while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple therapy configurations are pre-programmed into the IMD before implantation. When a short circuit fault is detected, the system can immediately switch to a pre-prepared alternative configuration without requiring complex real-time calculations, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high reliability.
3Productivity
If the IMD delivers high-energy therapy continuously, then the treatment efficacy is maintained, but the risk of short circuit faults increases due to sustained high current flow
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic monitoring of the electrical pathway for short circuit faults during therapy delivery. By interspersing detection cycles with therapy delivery, the system maintains continuous effectiveness while periodically assessing pathway stability, allowing early detection and switching to alternative configurations before complete failure occurs.
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes an energy storage device, a plurality of electrodes, a memory, a switching circuit, and a processing module. The energy storage device stores electrical energy for delivery of defibrillation therapy to a heart. The memory stores N therapy configurations that define which of the plurality of electrodes are used to deliver defibrillation therapy and a waveform to be applied during delivery of defibrillation therapy. The switching circuit connects the plurality of electrodes to the energy storage device. The processing module controls the switching circuit to deliver defibrillation therapy according to a first therapy configuration of the N therapy configurations, detects a short circuit fault during delivery of the defibrillation therapy according to the first therapy configuration, and selects a second therapy configuration of the N therapy configurations based on when the short circuit fault was detected during delivery of the defibrillation therapy according to the first therapy configuration.