Myocardial Pulse Apparatus Using Permutation Entropy

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies for applying electric pulses to myocardial tissue do not effectively identify optimal timing for pulse application to achieve a desired resetting effect with minimal energy usage, as they rely on frequency-based complexity measures that are less sensitive and may miss short periods of low complexity.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus that determines the complexity of myocardial tissue activity in the state space using permutation entropy, allowing for earlier and more precise identification of low complexity periods, triggering electric pulses with lower energy to terminate life-threatening activities like fibrillation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If frequency-based complexity measures are used to determine optimal timing for electric pulse application, then the measurement approach is simpler to implement, but the sensitivity is reduced and short periods of low complexity may be missed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomplexity measurement sensitivityVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter space from frequency domain to state space by using permutation entropy. This transforms the complexity measurement from analyzing frequency components to analyzing the temporal patterns and ordinal relationships in the signal, thereby increasing sensitivity to short low-complexity periods while maintaining practical implementability through well-defined mathematical procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If electric pulses are applied with higher energy to ensure termination of fibrillation, then the reliability of terminating arrhythmia is improved, but the energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefibrillation termination reliabilityVSAvoidelectric pulse energy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the myocardial tissue's electrical state using permutation entropy to identify optimal moments when the tissue is most susceptible to resetting. By detecting low-complexity periods in advance, the system can apply electric pulses at the most effective timing, thereby increasing termination reliability while minimizing the energy required for each pulse

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If the complexity threshold is set lower to capture more low complexity periods, then the opportunities for pulse application increase, but the risk of false detection increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepulse application opportunitiesVSAvoiddetection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a threshold comparison mechanism where the calculated permutation entropy is continuously compared against a predetermined threshold. This feedback-based approach allows the system to dynamically identify when the myocardial tissue enters low-complexity states, balancing the detection of sufficient opportunities with maintaining reliable discrimination between true low-complexity periods and noise

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3429677B1Apparatus for applying electric pulses to living myocardial tissue
Publication Date: 2021.12.08 MAX PLANCK GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
  • EP3429677B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3429677B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3429677B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(c)

AI summary

An apparatus for applying at least one electric pulse to a living myocardial tissue comprises an input receiving an electric signal representing a present electric activity of the myocardial tissue; a signal processor (11) processing the electric signal to determine a measure of the present complexity of the electric signal in the state space and to output a control signal (13) when the complexity measure is lower than a predetermined complexity threshold value; a pulse generator configured to generate the at least one electric pulse in response to the control signal; and an output configured to output the at least one electric pulse to the myocardial tissue.