Modular Cardiac Wearable with Reconfigurable Therapy and Monitoring Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wearable healthcare devices lack the ability to dynamically reconfigure based on a person's changing health conditions, limiting their effectiveness in monitoring and treating various medical issues such as arrhythmia and sudden cardiac arrest.
Innovation Solution
A modular wearable healthcare system that includes a support structure with integrated reconfigurable medical devices, allowing for the removal or addition of therapy and monitoring modules based on the person's health condition, such as a cardioverter defibrillator module that can transition from a therapy mode to a monitoring mode as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a wearable device includes both monitoring and therapy components, then it can provide comprehensive treatment, but it cannot be easily reconfigured when health conditions change
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable device is divided into separate monitoring module and therapy module that can be independently attached or detached from the support structure. This segmentation allows the device to be reconfigured by removing the therapy module when only monitoring is needed, or adding it back when therapy is required, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a static integrated design to a dynamic reconfigurable system where modules can be added or removed based on changing health conditions. The support structure provides standardized interfaces that enable dynamic reconfiguration, allowing the device to adapt its functionality over time without requiring complete redesign.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the device is designed as a fixed integrated system, then it is simpler to manufacture, but it lacks the ability to adapt to changing health conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed as a universal platform with standardized interfaces that can accommodate different monitoring and therapy modules. This universal design allows the same support structure to work with various module combinations, simplifying manufacturing by reusing the core platform while enabling adaptability through interchangeable modules.
Solution Approach 2:
The device configuration parameters (which modules are attached) can be changed without modifying the fundamental structure of the support structure. This allows manufacturing to focus on standardized components while the adaptability is achieved through configurable module combinations, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and adaptability.
3Reliability
If therapy modules are permanently integrated, then the device provides continuous treatment capability, but it cannot be optimized for monitoring-only patients
Solution Approach 1:
The therapy module is separated from the monitoring module, allowing patients who only need monitoring to have the therapy module removed. This segmentation maintains reliability for patients who need continuous treatment (by keeping the therapy module attached) while enabling optimization for monitoring-only patients (by removing the therapy module), thus resolving the contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The therapy module can be discarded (removed) when no longer needed and recovered (reattached) when treatment is required again. This allows the device to be optimized for different patient needs over time while maintaining the capability for continuous treatment when necessary, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies and implementations for a wearable healthcare system having a reconfigurable medical device integrated with a support structure included in the wearable healthcare system. The technologies and implementations facilitate configuring and reconfiguring the medical device based, at least, on the health condition of a person.