Modular Satellite Circuit System for Cardiac Tissue Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical technologies lack a flexible and efficient system for administering and monitoring electrical signals in living tissue, particularly in cardiac applications, with a need for precise control and low power consumption to minimize tissue damage and extend device lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A modular circuit system with satellite units connected via a bus with insulated and body-conductive conduction paths, allowing for precise control and monitoring of electrodes, using a central controller to configure and power satellites, enabling flexible activation and sensing with low power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional centralized control system is used for electrode activation and monitoring, then the system structure is simple, but the flexibility and precision of tissue activation are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control system into multiple independent satellite units, each capable of controlling specific electrodes. This segmentation allows flexible configuration where different satellites can be activated or deactivated based on treatment requirements, providing adaptability without requiring complete system redesign. Each satellite unit operates semi-independently, enabling precise local control while maintaining overall system manageability.
2Reliability
If high power is supplied to electrodes for effective tissue activation, then the activation effectiveness is improved, but power consumption increases and tissue damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by allowing different satellite units to operate with different power levels based on specific treatment needs. Individual electrodes or small groups of electrodes can be activated at high power for effective tissue stimulation, while other electrodes remain inactive or operate at low power. This localized power distribution optimizes activation effectiveness at the treatment site while minimizing overall power consumption and reducing the risk of tissue damage from excessive power delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic activation patterns where electrodes are stimulated in alternating sequences rather than continuously. Satellite units can be activated in cycles, with periods of high-power stimulation followed by lower-power or idle periods. This periodic action maintains effective tissue activation while allowing tissue recovery time and reducing average power consumption, thereby minimizing thermal damage risk.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple electrodes are activated simultaneously for comprehensive tissue coverage, then the treatment coverage is improved, but power consumption and tissue damage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrode array into multiple satellite units that can be independently controlled. This segmentation enables comprehensive tissue coverage by distributing activation across different spatial zones, while simultaneously reducing tissue damage risk by limiting the number of electrodes active at any single moment. Each satellite can cover a specific anatomical region, and the system can selectively activate only the satellites corresponding to the target tissue area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic activation sequences where different satellite units are activated in alternating time periods. Instead of all electrodes firing simultaneously, the system cycles through different satellite groups, providing comprehensive temporal-spatial coverage over multiple cycles. This approach ensures all target areas receive adequate stimulation while allowing intervening tissue to recover, thereby preventing cumulative thermal damage.
4Measurement precision
If a modular satellite system is implemented for flexible electrode control, then the adaptability and precision are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control function into standardized satellite units with identical internal architectures. Each satellite contains complete control circuitry for its assigned electrodes, enabling precise local activation without requiring complex external control wiring. This segmentation achieves high precision because each satellite can independently control its electrodes with fine-grained timing and amplitude control, while the standardized design keeps individual module complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The satellite units are designed as universal, multi-functional modules that can perform multiple functions: electrode activation, signal sensing, local amplification, and digital communication. This universality reduces overall system complexity because the same basic module type is replicated throughout the system rather than requiring specialized circuits for each function. The modular universal design allows precise control while maintaining ease of manufacturing and system integration.
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 system provides increased flexibility and accuracy for cardiac pacing and monitoring, allowing for long-term operation with minimal power consumption and reduced tissue damage, enabling precise control of electrodes and efficient data transmission.
Implementation Method 1
The bus includes first and second conduction paths between the controller and the satellite units, at least a portion of which is insulated from the subject's body
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for controlling one or more modular circuits (“satellites”) that are intended for placement in a subject's body. The one or more satellites are controlled by sending signals over a bus that includes first and second conduction paths. Also coupled to the bus in system embodiments is a device such as a pacemaker that provides power and includes control circuitry. Each satellite includes satellite circuitry and one or more effectors that interact with the tissue. The satellite circuitry is coupled to the bus, and thus interfaces the controller to the one or more effectors, which may function as actuators, sensors, or both. The effectors may be electrodes that are used to introduce analog electrical signals (e.g., one or more pacing pulses) into the tissue in the local areas where the electrodes are positioned (e.g., heart muscles) or to sense analog signals (e.g., a propagating depolarization signal) within the tissue.