Ingestible Device Power Management via Periodic Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ingestible medical pills for monitoring physiological parameters face challenges due to power consumption limitations, leading to premature device inactivation and reduced usable lifetime, especially in patients with gastric motility disorders, as well as difficulties in power source isolation during storage.
Innovation Solution
An ingestible device with a capacitor-based circuit that accumulates charge during idle intervals to power a transmitter during transmission intervals, combined with a startup circuit enabled by external RF signals for efficient power management, allowing for extended monitoring without significant power depletion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous measurement and transmission of information is performed, then monitoring capability is improved, but power consumption increases leading to premature device inactivation
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs measurements and transmissions periodically rather than continuously. The microcontroller enters sleep modes between measurement cycles, activating only when needed to measure physiological parameters and transmit data. This periodic operation significantly reduces average power consumption while maintaining reliable monitoring capability over extended periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The device maintains continuous monitoring capability through periodic measurements and transmissions, ensuring that physiological parameters are continuously tracked despite the device being in low-power states between measurements. The measurement system remains ready to detect changes, providing continuous useful action while minimizing energy consumption.
2Reliability
If sensing circuitry and communication are equipped in the pill, then monitoring function is improved, but pill size increases due to battery requirements
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing periodic measurements and transmissions with sleep modes between cycles, the device reduces average power consumption. This allows the use of smaller battery capacity while still providing reliable monitoring functions, thereby reducing the overall pill volume to fit within swallowable dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes its operational parameters dynamically, switching between active measurement/transmission modes and low-power sleep modes. This parameter variation allows the system to maintain monitoring functionality with reduced power requirements, enabling smaller battery and circuit component sizes that fit within the pill form factor.
3Stability of the object's composition
If power source is isolated from sensing and communication circuitry during storage, then power supply stability is improved, but device activation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses an intermediary activation mechanism where an external magnetic field or RFID signal serves as a mediator to trigger device activation. This allows the power source to remain isolated during storage for stability, while the intermediary signal provides a simple, non-invasive method to activate the device when needed, avoiding complex mechanical or chemical activation systems.
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
The solution enables extended and efficient monitoring of physiological parameters, such as temperature, by reducing power consumption and preventing premature device inactivation, while allowing for a compact and biocompatible pill design that can be safely swallowed and operated for an extended period.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitor-based circuit, including at least one capacitor, to accumulate sufficient charge during one of the idle intervals to supply power to the transmitter during one of the transmission intervals
Implementation Method 2
configured to receive power from an external RF start signal through inductive coupling, thereby enabling the processor
Data Source
AI summary
An ingestible apparatus produces and processes physiological signals representative of a physiological parameter. The apparatus measures the physiological parameter from within the body of a living entity. The apparatus includes a physiological transducer circuit to sense the physiological signals, a processor to process the physiological signals in response to the physiological transducer circuit, and a transmitter that transmits the processed signals during transmission intervals which are alternated with idle intervals. The apparatus further includes a capacitor-based circuit, including at least one capacitor, to accumulate sufficient charge during one of the idle intervals to supply power to the transmitter during one of the transmission intervals.