Implantable Device Telemetry Session Management via Incremental Data Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing communication methods between implantable medical devices (IMDs) and external devices via low-bandwidth wireless protocols like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) face challenges with long data transfer times, increased error rates, and battery drain due to the need to transmit all stored data, which can be exacerbated by poor connectivity.
Innovation Solution
The IMD determines whether to send all stored data or only the data collected since the last successful transmission, based on the quality of the wireless link, to reduce transfer time and minimize errors, thereby optimizing data transfer efficiency and power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all stored data is transmitted to the external device, then data completeness is improved, but transfer time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transmission process by dividing stored data into two categories: data transmitted in previous sessions and data collected since the last successful transmission. The system transmits only the incremental portion (data since last successful transmission) rather than all stored data, thereby reducing transfer time while maintaining data completeness through cumulative transmissions across multiple sessions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by tracking and remembering which data has already been successfully transmitted in previous sessions. This memory of previous transmission states allows the system to avoid re-transmitting already sent data, optimizing subsequent transmission times while ensuring all data is eventually transmitted.
2Loss of information
If all stored data is transmitted to the external device, then data completeness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transmission approach by transmitting only incremental data (collected since last successful transmission) rather than all stored data. This segmentation of the transmission scope significantly reduces the data volume over the wireless interface, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining data completeness through progressive transmissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary tracking of transmission history to identify which data portions have already been sent. This preliminary knowledge enables the system to avoid redundant transmissions, reducing unnecessary power consumption while ensuring all data is transmitted through cumulative incremental transfers.
3Reliability
If data transfer time is reduced, then reliability is improved, but data completeness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data transmissions into incremental portions based on the last successful transmission timestamp. By transmitting only the incremental portion (data since last successful transmission) in each session, the system reduces transfer time and improves reliability through shorter transmission windows, while maintaining data completeness through cumulative transmissions that eventually cover all stored data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes continuous transmission sessions that progressively transfer data over multiple time periods. The useful action of data transmission continues across multiple sessions, with each session transmitting the incremental portion since the last successful transmission. This continuous incremental approach ensures both reliability (through shorter individual transmissions) and data completeness (through cumulative progress).
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure is directed to devices, systems, and techniques for an external device to receive data collected by an IMD implanted in a patient. The IMD may collect physiological data associated with a patient and store the physiological data in memory. The IMD may determine an amount of the physiological data stored in the memory to send to an external device and send, via a wireless connection, the determined amount of the physiological data stored in memory to the external device.