Medical Device Time Synchronization via Latency Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices require tight time synchronization for effective operation, especially when combining multiple functions, but existing technologies struggle to account for communications latency and time discrepancies between timing circuits.
Innovation Solution
The system synchronizes multiple processing circuits in a medical device system or network by accounting for communications latency and determining time differences between clocks, using a master-slave timing protocol to achieve substantial synchronization of medical-related data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple medical devices are connected in a network to provide comprehensive patient monitoring and treatment, then the functionality and versatility of the system is improved, but time synchronization discrepancies and communication latency between devices worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where timing circuits continuously exchange time synchronization messages and measure communication latency. Based on the measured latency and time differences, the system automatically adjusts timing offsets to maintain synchronization. This closed-loop feedback approach resolves the contradiction by dynamically compensating for time discrepancies that arise in multi-device networks, enabling both high versatility and precise time synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the timing parameters of individual devices based on measured communication latency. Each device adjusts its local timing offset as a parameter to compensate for network delays. This parameter adjustment allows the system to maintain accurate time synchronization across multiple devices with different communication paths, resolving the contradiction between network versatility and time precision.
2Measurement precision
If timing circuits communicate frequently to maintain synchronization, then time synchronization accuracy is improved, but communication overhead and system complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic timing synchronization messages exchanged between timing circuits to maintain synchronization. Instead of continuous communication, devices exchange time reference messages at regular intervals, which is sufficient to maintain sub-microsecond synchronization accuracy. This periodic approach reduces communication overhead while maintaining high time synchronization accuracy, resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.
3Measurement precision
If communication latency between timing circuits is measured and compensated, then time synchronization accuracy is improved, but processing requirements and computational load worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and measures only the essential timing parameters from communication messages - specifically the transmission time stamps and reception time stamps. By focusing only on these critical time parameters rather than processing entire data packets, the system achieves accurate latency measurement with minimal processing load. This selective extraction approach resolves the contradiction between synchronization accuracy and computational requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Medical devices can perform a plurality of functions, such as sensing, monitoring, deriving and/or calculating various physiological statuses of a patient (e.g., blood pressure, temperature, respiration rate, etc.). Medical devices can also be used to image part or all of a patient's body, to deliver a treatment, or to manage information related to a patient's care. The present disclosure is directed at one or more devices that perform these functions using a plurality of processing circuits, wherein each processing circuit has a timing circuit with a local clock. These processing circuits can be connected via a network, and each timing circuit can communicate with at least one other timing circuit in order to detect and correct time-differences between their local clocks. In this way, multiple processing circuits can be synchronized with each other to facilitate diagnosis or treatment of a patient's condition, or other aspects of a patient's care.