Implantable Medical Device with Implantation Detection and Staged Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing implantable medical devices require complex and costly procedures for activating medically sensitive functions, often necessitating the presence of additional personnel and non-sterile programming devices during implantation.

Innovation Solution

Implantable medical devices are designed with a processor and memory unit that automatically activate diagnostic or therapeutic functions after detecting implantation and fulfilling predefined time criteria or function tests, eliminating the need for additional programming devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If medically sensitive functions are manually activated during implantation using programming devices, then activation control is achieved, but device complexity and personnel requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol of medically sensitive functionsVSAvoidactivation procedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The implantable medical device automatically detects its own implanted state and activates therapeutic functions without requiring external programming devices or additional personnel, making the system self-sufficient for activation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The device performs preliminary detection of implantation conditions (such as impedance measurements or temperature sensing) before automatically activating therapeutic functions, ensuring proper activation without manual intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If all therapeutic functions are activated simultaneously upon implantation detection, then treatment coverage is maximized, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment coverageVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The device performs preliminary detection and evaluation of implantation conditions before activating therapeutic functions, allowing selective activation based on detected parameters rather than simultaneous activation of all functions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The activation state of therapeutic functions is made dynamic and adjustable based on detected implantation conditions, allowing the device to adapt which functions are activated rather than using a fixed simultaneous activation scheme

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If therapeutic functions are activated immediately upon implantation, then treatment starts promptly, but malfunction risks during transport increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment start timeVSAvoidmalfunction risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The device performs preliminary detection of implantation status (such as detecting body temperature, impedance, or other physiological parameters) before activating therapeutic functions, ensuring activation only occurs when properly implanted rather than immediately upon power-up

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4048394B1Implantable medical device
Publication Date: 2025.08.13 BIOTRONIK SE & CO KG
  • EP4048394B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4048394B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to an implantable medical device which performs the following steps during operation: a) performing a detection (210) of whether the implantable medical device (100) is in an implanted state; b) if it is detected that the implantable medical device (100) is in an implanted state (220), activating a first diagnostic or therapeutic function (230) of the implantable medical device (100), and subsequently activating a second diagnostic or therapeutic function (260) of the implantable medical device (100), wherein the second diagnostic or therapeutic function (260) is activated only after the fulfilment (250) of at least one activation criterion selected from the group consisting of an elapse of a first time period from the activation of the first diagnostic or therapeutic function (230), an elapse of a second time period from the detection (210) that the implantable medical device (100) is in an implanted state, and a passing of a function test.