IMD Advertising Schedule Management for Battery Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) telemetry protocols cause an undue drain on the battery of implantable medical devices (IMDs) due to inconsistent connectivity with external instruments, leading to increased battery drain and reduced device lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A method is provided for managing the establishment of a communication link between an external instrument (EI) and an IMD by storing an advertising schedule that defines a pattern for advertisement notices with uneven intervals, and a scanning schedule that defines a pattern for scanning windows. The method transmits advertisement notices and scans for connections based on these schedules, allowing for dynamic adjustment of the schedules to improve connectivity and battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If advertisement notices are transmitted at a lower frequency to conserve current drain, then battery life is extended, but connectivity reliability deteriorates due to missed advertisement notices and longer connection establishment times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic advertising frequency adjustment where the IMD adapts its advertisement transmission rate based on connection state and historical data. When connected, advertising frequency is reduced to conserve energy; when disconnected or in first scanning interval, frequency increases to ensure reliable detection by the external instrument, thus resolving the contradiction between energy conservation and connectivity reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of advertising frequency dynamically based on operational conditions. The advertising interval is adjusted from a fixed low frequency to a variable frequency that increases during critical connection establishment phases and decreases during stable connected states, optimizing both power consumption and connection reliability
2Use of energy by stationary object
If the external instrument uses a slower duty cycle for scanning after the first scanning interval, then power consumption is reduced, but connection establishment time increases due to longer periods without scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The external instrument performs preliminary intensive scanning during the first scanning interval with a higher duty cycle to ensure timely detection of the IMD advertisement. This preliminary action establishes the connection before transitioning to the lower power state, preventing delays that would occur if scanning started slowly from the beginning
Solution Approach 2:
The scanning operation uses periodic action with two distinct phases: an initial high-frequency scanning period followed by a lower-frequency scanning period. This periodic variation in scanning intensity ensures connections are established quickly when attempted while maintaining low power consumption during extended idle periods between connection attempts
3Reliability
If advertisement notices are transmitted at constant frequency per wireless protocol, then communication protocol compliance is maintained, but battery life is reduced due to excessive current drain in smaller devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static constant-frequency advertising to dynamic frequency adjustment. The IMD maintains protocol compliance by advertising at standard intervals when connected while dynamically reducing advertising frequency during unconnected states, adapting the transmission rate to actual operational needs rather than following a fixed protocol schedule
Solution Approach 2:
The advertising frequency parameter is changed from a fixed protocol-defined value to a variable parameter that adjusts based on connection state. The system modifies this parameter in real-time, using higher frequencies when connection establishment is needed and lower frequencies when already connected, optimizing power consumption while maintaining necessary communication reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for managing establishment of a communications link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD) are provided. The method stores, in a memory in at least one of the IMD or the EI, a base scanning schedule that defines a pattern for scanning windows over a scanning state. The method enters the scanning state during which a receiver scans for advertisement notices during the scanning windows. At least a portion of the scanning windows are grouped in a first segment of the scanning state. The method stores, in the memory, a scan reset pattern for restarting the scanning state. Further, the method automatically restarts the scanning state based on the scan reset pattern to form a pseudo-scanning schedule that differs from the base scanning schedule and establishes a communication session between the IMD and the EI.