Implantable Device Graphics Data Storage for Therapy Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable medical devices (IMDs) lack effective methods for storing and retrieving patient-specific anatomical images, which are crucial for precise therapy delivery and monitoring, as they typically store image data rather than graphics processing data that can be used to render images, leading to inefficiencies in data storage and rendering processes.
Innovation Solution
The techniques involve storing graphics processing data associated with implantable medical devices, allowing for the generation of patient-specific images by applying this data during a rendering process, enabling clinicians to view and adjust therapy delivery more accurately without performing the rendering process on the device itself.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If image data is stored in the implantable medical device, then complete patient-specific anatomical images can be retrieved, but data storage requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential geometric and positional parameters needed to reproduce anatomical images, storing them as compact graphics processing data in the implantable device while leaving the full rendering capability in external systems. This separation reduces the data storage burden on the implanted device while preserving complete image reconstruction capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing complete image data and processing it locally in the implantable device, the patent inverts the approach by storing minimal graphics processing data and performing the computationally intensive rendering process externally. This reversal significantly reduces device complexity and storage requirements.
2Device complexity
If graphics processing data is stored instead of image data, then data storage requirements are reduced, but the device must not be configured to perform rendering process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the external programming device serve multiple functions: it stores the graphics processing data, performs the rendering process, and displays the resulting images. This multi-functionality compensates for the implantable device's lack of rendering capability, maintaining overall system versatility while reducing implantable device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If patient-specific anatomical images are stored and retrieved, then therapy delivery accuracy is improved, but data transfer time and privacy concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the critical geometric parameters needed for accurate therapy delivery and stores them as compact graphics processing data in the implantable device. This extraction reduces data transfer time while preserving the precision needed for accurate anatomical image reconstruction and therapy planning.
Data Source
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AI summary
In one example, a device includes a telemetry module configured to retrieve graphics processing data from a device that is not configured to perform a rendering process using the graphics processing data and that is associated with delivering therapy to a therapy target of a patient, and a control unit configured to apply the graphics processing data while performing the rendering process to generate an image of an anatomical feature of the patient, wherein the anatomical feature comprises the therapy target for an implantable medical device (IMD), and to cause a display unit of a user interface to display the image, wherein the image of the anatomical feature is specific to the patient. The graphics processing data may include a list of vertices or a transform to be applied to a non-patient-specific anatomical atlas. The data may also include a location of a therapy element of the IMD.