Implantable Medical Device Wake-Up with False-Activation Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for waking up implantable medical devices from a dormant state often result in excessive battery consumption due to false wake-up events, requiring additional hardware or proprietary devices, and are inefficient in power management.
Innovation Solution
A method using a standardized communication protocol like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) with customized advertising sequences to transmit wake-up signals, combined with a zero-power-consumption demodulator circuitry in the implantable device, allowing for secure and efficient activation based on valid wake-up signals while blocking invalid activations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If the RF transceiver is kept in a dormant state to conserve power, then battery life is extended, but the device cannot respond to wake-up signals without consuming additional power
Solution Approach 1:
The RF transceiver is segmented into two functional parts: a low-power dormant state and a high-power active state. The patent introduces an intermediate wake-up mechanism that selectively activates only the necessary components to receive wake-up signals without fully powering up the main RF transceiver, thus extending battery life while maintaining reliable wake-up response capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring wake-up thresholds and patterns before the device is fully activated. The processor monitors signal patterns in advance and prepares to transition to full RF operation only when a valid wake-up signal is detected, ensuring reliable response while minimizing power consumption during the dormant state.
2Reliability
If periodic RF receiver sniffing is used to detect wake-up messages, then the device can respond to external signals, but battery power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the patent implements periodic sniffing with optimized intervals. The RF receiver performs brief sampling operations at strategically determined periods to detect wake-up messages, balancing the need for reliable signal detection with minimizing power consumption. The periodic action allows the device to remain mostly dormant while still responding to external signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses partial action by activating only the essential RF receiving components needed for wake-up detection rather than the full RF transceiver. This partial activation enables the device to detect wake-up messages without the excessive power consumption associated with full RF operation, achieving reliable wake-up capability with reduced energy usage.
3Ease of operation
If inductive coil communication with an inductive wand is used, then the device can be woken up remotely, but additional hardware and close proximity requirements are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing RF transceiver multi-functional by enabling it to serve both as the primary communication device and as a wake-up receiver. Instead of adding separate inductive coil hardware, the system utilizes the existing RF components to detect wake-up signals from external devices like smartphones, achieving remote wake-up capability without increasing hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by using the device's own existing RF transceiver components to detect and process wake-up signals. The processor and RF receiver monitor for wake-up patterns using the same hardware that will later handle full communication operations, eliminating the need for separate wake-up hardware and simplifying the overall device architecture.
4Reliability
If proprietary external RF hardware is used to generate wake-up messages, then wake-up reliability is improved, but design, fabrication and distribution costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using proprietary hardware, the patent uses a software-based approach where a smartphone application copies and transmits wake-up signals through standard RF communication protocols. This software-based wake-up mechanism achieves reliable wake-up functionality without requiring expensive proprietary hardware design, fabrication, and distribution, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining wake-up reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces battery wear by minimizing false wake-ups, extends device lifespan, and allows for secure, low-latency activation using off-the-shelf devices without additional hardware, ensuring efficient power management.
Implementation Method 1
An external device is configured to send a wake-up signal via a wireless link
Implementation Method 2
The implantable medical device comprises a demodulator circuitry configured to demodulate the wake-up signal
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for waking up an implantable medical device (1) from a dormant state comprises: sending a wake-up signal (W1) via a wireless link by means of an external device (2); receiving the wake-up signal (W1) by the implantable medical device (1) in the dormant state; activating an awake state of the implantable medical device (1) in response to the wake-up signal (W1); attempting with at least one or a predefined number of attempts, in the awake state of the implantable medical device (1), to establish a communication between the external device (2) and the implantable medical device (1); identifying, by the implantable medical device (1), the activation of the awake state as a valid activation based on the attempting to establish a communication; and in case the activation of the awake state is not identified as a valid activation, blocking a subsequent activation of the awake state of the implantable medical device (1) based on the wake-up signal (W1).