Flash Memory Wear Leveling Prioritization for Medical Devices

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Medical devices with flash memory, such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose sensors, face limitations in lifetime due to wear leveling algorithms, which lead to unpredictable performance, energy consumption, and error detection issues, while also reserving memory regions for critical tasks, thus requiring improved reliability and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A medical device with a prioritizing algorithm that manages wear leveling, allowing for predictable timing and energy consumption by prioritizing medical actions over memory cleaning, eliminating the need for a wear leveling controller and optimizing flash memory capacity, and incorporating a dynamic or static wear leveling algorithm to extend device lifetime.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If wear leveling algorithm is applied to extend flash memory lifetime, then device lifetime is improved, but memory access time becomes unpredictable and time-critical medical functions may be delayed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflash memory lifetimeVSAvoidmemory access time

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The flash memory is divided into multiple pages, and the wear leveling algorithm operates at the page level rather than individual cell level. This segmentation allows the system to perform wear leveling operations on smaller, manageable units without blocking time-critical medical functions, as operations can be performed in smaller increments that complete faster.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs wear leveling operations in advance during non-critical time periods, preparing the flash memory state before time-critical medical functions need to access data. This preliminary action ensures that when medical functions require memory access, the wear leveling process has already completed or is paused, guaranteeing predictable access times.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Duration of action of stationary object

If wear leveling algorithm is applied to extend flash memory lifetime, then device lifetime is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflash memory lifetimeVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of stationary objectVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The wear leveling algorithm is executed periodically rather than continuously, with operations triggered at specific intervals or under specific conditions. This periodic execution reduces overall energy consumption compared to continuous wear leveling, while still effectively distributing wear across flash memory pages to extend device lifetime.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system discards partially completed wear leveling operations when energy is low or time-critical functions are pending, and recovers by resuming or completing operations during energy-rich periods. This approach prevents energy waste on operations that cannot be completed and allows the system to accumulate energy resources before performing wear leveling tasks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Ease of operation

If wear leveling controller is added to manage flash memory, then memory management is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory managementVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flash memory system performs wear leveling operations autonomously without requiring an external wear leveling controller. The memory management integrated circuit within the flash memory itself handles wear leveling tasks, eliminating the need for additional control hardware and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effective memory management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The wear leveling control functionality is merged with the flash memory management integrated circuit rather than being implemented as a separate controller. This integration combines multiple functions into a single component, reducing the total number of parts and simplifying the device architecture while preserving wear leveling capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11144447B2Device for performing at least one medical action at a human or animal body via device over memory cleaning called by wear leveling

Publication Date: 2021.10.12 ROCHE DIABETES CARE INC

AI summary

The invention relates to a device (100) for performing at least one medical action at a human or animal body; wherein the device (100) comprises an energy source (107) and a computer (103); wherein the computer (103)a) comprises a first erasable non-volatile memory (104), andb) is configured for performing at least one application,the application being configuredi) to control the medical action, andii) to prioritize the medical action over a memory cleaning called by a wear leveling.Furthermore, the invention relates to a process, comprising operating the device (100) in consecutive cycles or tasks; to a use of a wear leveling algorithm and a prioritizing algorithm; and to a use of the device (100) in a treatment of a diabetes mellitus.