Implantable Medical Device Sequenced Therapy Protocols
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable medical devices require time-consuming and burdensome manual adjustments to therapy settings, necessitating repeated visits for patients, especially when optimizing settings for individual patient needs, such as during imaging procedures.
Innovation Solution
An implantable medical device with a controller and pulse generator that allows for sequencing through multiple pre-programmed therapies, enabling automatic cycling through different therapy settings, user-controlled switching between therapies, and the option to remain on a preferred therapy, facilitating efficient adjustment and optimization without constant physician intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual adjustment of therapy settings is performed, then therapy optimization for individual patient needs is achieved, but time consumption and burden increase requiring repeated physician visits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-programs multiple therapy settings (e.g., different pulse widths, amplitudes, frequencies) into the implantable medical device before implantation. This allows the device to automatically cycle through predetermined therapy sequences without requiring repeated manual programming visits, thereby achieving therapy optimization while reducing time loss from repeated physician visits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the implantable medical device to automatically sequence through multiple therapy protocols without requiring manual intervention from the physician for each setting change. The device self-adjusts by cycling through pre-programmed therapies, reducing the burden on patients and eliminating the need for repeated visits to modify settings.
2Measurement precision
If therapy settings are changed during imaging procedures, then optimal therapy can be determined, but repeated use of specialized programming equipment is required which is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-programms multiple therapy settings directly into the implantable medical device during manufacturing or initial programming. This eliminates the need for repeated use of specialized external programming equipment during imaging procedures, as the device already contains the necessary therapy sequences to test and determine optimal settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the therapy programming functionality from external specialized equipment and embeds it directly within the implantable medical device. This integration allows the device to sequence through multiple therapies independently without requiring external programming devices, thereby simplifying the overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If current magnitude is ramped up to optimal value, then therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but each change requires patient visit which is burdensome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-programms a sequence of current magnitudes ranging from low to optimal values into the device before implantation. This allows the device to automatically ramp up the current magnitude through predetermined steps without requiring the patient to visit the physician for each adjustment, thereby maintaining therapeutic effectiveness while improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic adjustment of therapy parameters by automatically cycling through multiple pre-programmed settings. The device can transition smoothly between different current magnitudes and other parameters according to a predetermined sequence, providing adaptive therapy optimization without repeated manual interventions.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment of the invention, a method comprises (a) implementing a first therapy in an implantable medical device (IMD) from a programmed sequence of therapies for a first time period, (b) implementing a second therapy from the sequence in the IMD for a second time period following the first time period, and repeating (a) and (b).