Dual Microcontroller External Controller for Implantable Medical Device Graphics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current external controllers for implantable medical devices lack the computing resources needed to support higher resolution displays, making it difficult to implement advanced user interfaces and functionalities such as current steering effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of dual microcontrollers, with a low-speed microcontroller for telemetry and data processing and a high-speed microcontroller for rendering graphics and processing complex data, enables the implementation of higher quality graphics and a richer user experience by distributing processing tasks and utilizing a high-resolution color display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single microcontroller is used in the external controller, then the device complexity is low and ease of manufacture is good, but the computing resources are insufficient to support higher resolution displays and advanced user interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The external controller is divided into two separate microcontrollers: a first microcontroller responsible for telemetry communications and a second microcontroller dedicated to graphics processing. This segmentation allows each microcontroller to be optimized for its specific function, enabling high-resolution display capabilities without requiring a single overly complex microcontroller that would be difficult to manufacture and program.
2Productivity
If a high-speed microcontroller is used for graphics rendering, then the graphics quality and user experience are improved, but the power consumption and energy usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the microcontroller functions into telemetry and graphics processing, the system can power down the high-speed second microcontroller when graphics rendering is not needed, while keeping the low-power first microcontroller active for essential telemetry communications. This reduces overall power consumption compared to running a single high-speed microcontroller continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The first microcontroller handles telemetry communications independently without requiring the second microcontroller's involvement, allowing the second microcontroller to enter low-power states when not actively rendering graphics. This self-service capability enables the system to minimize power consumption during non-graphics operations.
3Loss of information
If a high-resolution color display is implemented, then the user interface quality and information presentation are improved, but the computing resources and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The display processing tasks are segmented and assigned exclusively to the second microcontroller, which is optimized for graphics rendering. This dedicated assignment allows the system to implement high-resolution color displays without overloading a general-purpose microcontroller, as the second microcontroller's architecture is specifically suited for handling the computational demands of complex graphical interfaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for seamless rendering of graphics and efficient processing of complex data, enhancing user interaction and system functionality, particularly in applications like spinal cord stimulation systems, by providing a parallel processing capability that supports higher resolution displays and advanced features like current steering.
Implementation Method 1
The communication of data to and from the external controller occurs via magnetic inductive coupling. When data is to be sent from the external controller to the IPG for example, coil 17 is energized with an alternating current (AC). Such energizing of the coil 17 to transfer data can occur using a Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) protocol for example... Energizing the coil 17 induces an electromagnetic field, which in turn induces a current in the IPG's telemetry coil 13
Data Source
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AI summary
An improved external controller with dual microcontrollers useable with an implantable medical device is disclosed. The external controller comprises a low speed (low frequency) microcontroller and a high speed (high frequency) microcontroller. The low speed microcontroller receives telemetry data from the medical device, converts data into graphical commands, and transmits commands to the high speed microcontroller. The high speed microcontroller interprets the graphical commands, retrieves images indicative of the commands from a storage device, and renders the images onto a display screen. The high speed microcontroller may also process more complicated data sent from the low speed microcontroller, and return the results to the low speed microcontroller to allow it to form the graphics command for the high speed microcontroller to execute.