Infusion Device Dose Segmentation for Anomaly Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable fluid delivery devices face challenges in accurately delivering therapeutic agents due to software or hardware malfunctions, which can result in overdoses or underdoses, caused by memory corruption, power surges, electromagnetic interference, or software errors, leading to adverse health effects.
Innovation Solution
The system automatically divides the total therapeutic dose into unit doses and programs the infusion device to deliver these doses over specific periods, allowing for real-time monitoring and error detection, thereby preventing excessive delivery and ensuring safe dosing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the infusion device delivers therapeutic agent continuously over a total period of time, then the treatment effectiveness is improved, but the risk of overdose due to software or hardware malfunction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the total therapeutic dose into multiple smaller unit doses that are delivered sequentially over time. Each unit dose is separated by a predetermined time interval, which allows the system to detect and respond to anomalies between deliveries. This segmentation maintains treatment effectiveness while reducing the risk of continuous overdose in case of malfunction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements an error detection mechanism that monitors the delivery of each unit dose and compares it against expected parameters. If an anomaly is detected (such as unexpected delivery timing or amount), the system can alert the user or adjust delivery parameters. This feedback loop ensures reliability while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the system monitors and detects errors in real-time, then the patient safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs self-monitoring mechanisms where the infusion device automatically tracks its own delivery parameters and compares them against programmed expectations. The system performs self-diagnosis and can detect anomalies without requiring external monitoring equipment, thereby improving patient safety while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A total dose of a therapeutic agent to be delivered to a patient by an infusion device over a total period of time is automatically divided into a plurality of unit doses to be delivered to the patient over a plurality of unit periods of time. The infusion device is automatically programmed to deliver one of the unit doses of the therapeutic agent to the patient over its respective unit period of time, after which the one unit dose is delivered, and a determination is made of whether an error occurred in delivering the one unit dose to the patient. Delivery of the total dose of the therapeutic agent to the patient may include iteratively automatically programming the infusion device to deliver successive unit doses upon determining that no error occurred in delivering a previous unit dose to the patient. Accordingly, the risk of improperly dosing the patient with the therapeutic agent in an event of a software or hardware anomaly within the infusion device is prevented or reduced.