Implantable Medical Device Continuous Data Collection Mode
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional implantable medical devices (IMDs) have limited memory capacity, which restricts the duration of continuous data collection and storage of vital cardiac functions, such as intracardiac electrogram (EGM) data, hindering advanced diagnostics and predictive analytics.
Innovation Solution
An IMD with sensing circuits, a transceiver circuit, memory, and processors that enable a continuous data collection mode (CDCM), allowing for extended data storage and periodic transmission of physiological data to an external device, exceeding the device's memory capacity through a predetermined sampling rate and communication interval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If continuous EGM data is stored in IMD memory, then diagnostic capability is improved, but memory capacity is exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external device as an intermediary storage medium. The IMD continuously collects EGM data and transfers it to the external device, which serves as a mediator with sufficient storage capacity to hold the continuous data stream without the limitations of the IMD's internal memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves the storage dimension from the implantable device to an external device. By transferring data storage to a different spatial dimension (external vs. internal), the system overcomes the physical memory constraints of the IMD while maintaining continuous data collection capability.
2Loss of information
If data is transmitted frequently to external device, then data availability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic data transmission at predetermined intervals rather than continuous transmission. This periodic action allows the IMD to accumulate data in its buffer and transfer batches to the external device, reducing the frequency of wireless communications and associated energy consumption while still maintaining data availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The IMD performs preliminary data collection and buffering before transmission. By preparing data in advance and transferring it in batches, the system reduces the number of separate transmission events required, thereby lowering overall energy consumption while ensuring data is available when transmitted.
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable medical device (IMD) includes one or more sensing circuits configured to sense one or more physiological characteristics and to generate physiological data indicative of the one or more physiological characteristics. An input is configured to receive a trigger. Responsive to receiving the trigger, a continuous data collection mode (CDCM) comprising a predetermined sampling rate is enabled. Physiological data is continuously generated. The physiological data is continuously stored in a buffer memory at the predetermined sampling rate for a duration of a collection session associated with the CDCM. The amount of data stored in the buffer memory during the collection session, including the physiological data, exceeds a capacity of the buffer memory. Connect and transmit operations are performed at a periodic communication interval during the collection session to connect with the external device and transmit at least a portion of the physiological data stored in the buffer memory.