Dynamic Sensor Control for Pain Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pain management systems rely heavily on subjective patient reports, which are inefficient and prone to variation, and ambulatory sensors face power and resource constraints, limiting effective chronic pain monitoring and therapy delivery.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a first sensor circuit to sense a functional state, a second sensor circuit to sense physiological or functional signals, and a controller circuit to determine operating modes and generate a pain score for closed-loop pain therapy, optimizing sensor usage and reducing resource demands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are operated continuously for chronic pain monitoring, then pain detection accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases and device battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic sensor operation where sensors are activated or deactivated based on detected functional states. The controller circuit determines operating modes for second sensors based on first sensor signals, transitioning between active and inactive states to optimize power consumption while maintaining pain detection capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic sampling of physiological signals rather than continuous monitoring. Sensors are triggered to sense signals at specific intervals or under specific conditions, reducing overall power consumption while still capturing relevant pain-related physiological changes over time.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors operate at high data acquisition rates, then pain assessment precision is improved, but computing resources and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different data acquisition rates to different sensors based on their specific functions and the information they provide. Rather than uniformly high sampling rates for all sensors, the system tailors the acquisition rate to each sensor's needs and the current functional state, optimizing computing resource utilization while maintaining assessment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses selective triggering of sensors based on detected functional states. Instead of continuously acquiring data from all sensors at maximum rates, the controller activates specific sensors only when their data is likely to be relevant for pain assessment, reducing overall computational burden while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If subjective patient reporting is used for pain assessment, then treatment personalization is improved, but time efficiency decreases and intra-patient variation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a closed-loop system where physiological signals provide continuous feedback about the patient's pain state. The controller circuit processes sensor data to determine functional states and triggers appropriate responses, creating an automated feedback mechanism that reduces reliance on time-consuming subjective patient reporting while enabling personalized treatment based on objective physiological measurements.
Data Source
AI summary
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for managing pain of a subject. A system includes a first sensor circuit to sense a first signal indicative of a functional state of the subject, a second sensor circuit to sense a second signal different from the first signal, and a controller circuit. The controller circuit may determine an operating mode of the second sensor circuit according to the sensed first signal, trigger the second senor circuit to sense the second signal under the determined operating mode, and generate a pain score using at least the second signal sensed under the determined operating mode. The pain score may be output to a patient or used for closed-loop control of a pain therapy.