Wireless Intra-Body Network for Implantable Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable medical devices (IMDs) face limitations in data communication due to insufficient feedback from local sensors, lack of non-wired interconnectivity, and inefficient data exchange methods, which hinder effective therapy delivery and physiological monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A wireless intra-body network system using a hierarchical network protocol stack with master-slave and peer-to-peer configurations, enabling direct communication between IMDs and external devices through a physical layer with unique identifiers, facilitating data exchange via acoustic signals or other carrier signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wired interconnections are used to connect implantable sensors to IMDs, then data communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and invasiveness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wired mechanical interconnections with wireless acoustic communication. Implantable sensors and IMDs communicate through acoustic signals transmitted through body tissues, eliminating the need for physical wire connections, intra-body tunnels, and associated interconnection interfaces, thereby reducing device complexity and invasiveness while maintaining communication reliability
2Measurement precision
If multiple wired sensors are added to an IMD, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal wireless communication infrastructure where multiple implantable sensors can communicate with IMDs through the same acoustic communication protocol. This allows addition of multiple sensors for enhanced physiological monitoring without proportionally increasing system complexity, as each sensor uses the same wireless interface rather than requiring dedicated wired connections
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing wired connections with wireless acoustic communication, the patent enables easy addition of multiple sensors without the complexity of managing multiple wire sets, connectors, and interconnection interfaces, thus improving measurement precision through multi-sensor deployment while keeping device complexity manageable
3Device complexity
If autonomous sensor operation with external data download is used, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces external acoustic transducer-based data download with direct wireless acoustic communication between implantable sensors and IMDs. This enables real-time data exchange without the time delays associated with external device intervention, while maintaining the simplicity of autonomous sensor operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a direct feedback loop between implantable sensors and IMDs through wireless acoustic communication. Sensors continuously transmit physiological data directly to the IMD, enabling real-time monitoring and immediate therapeutic response, thereby eliminating the time loss associated with external data download and relay
4Object-affected harmful factors
If acoustic transducer interface is used for data download, then invasiveness is reduced, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces external acoustic transducer data download with direct wireless acoustic communication between implantable sensors and IMDs. This eliminates the need for external device placement and operation, further reducing invasiveness, while simultaneously enabling real-time data exchange that eliminates the time delays inherent in external download processes
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 solution provides efficient, non-invasive data communication within the body, enhancing therapy delivery and monitoring by allowing real-time data exchange between IMDs and external devices, reducing the complexity and invasiveness of existing wired connections.
Implementation Method 1
digital data is exchanged within the intra-body network through an acoustic carrier signal
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for providing digital data communications over a wireless intra-body network is presented. A physical protocol layer is logically defined with an identifier uniquely assigned to a plurality of implantable devices in an intra-body network. Functions are specified within the physical protocol layer to transact data exchange over a wireless interface. A slave implantable device is activated in response to an activation signal transmitted through the wireless interface by a master implantable device. A wireless communications link is established between the slave implantable device and the master implantable device upon matching of the identifier assigned to the slave implantable device. Data is communicated intra-bodily over the communications link.