Patient-Programmed Drug Infusion with State-Based Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable stimulation devices often provide continuous therapy regardless of the patient's state, leading to inefficient resource usage and increased risk of tolerance, as they do not adequately account for patient state changes, such as sleep, which can result in unnecessary battery depletion and habituation.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a clock and sensors to determine patient state, allowing for automatic adjustment of treatment protocols, including alerting the patient for approval before making adjustments, and dynamically changing priority rules based on time and sensed data, thereby optimizing therapy delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous therapy is provided regardless of patient state, then treatment coverage is maximized, but resource consumption increases and tolerance develops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of therapy delivery based on real-time patient state detection. The system transitions from static continuous therapy to dynamic state-dependent therapy, where treatment parameters are automatically modified according to detected patient states such as sleep, activity, or stress levels. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining adequate treatment coverage only when needed while conserving resources during states where therapy is less necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms through sensors that continuously monitor patient state and feed this information back to the therapy delivery system. This closed-loop control enables automatic adjustment of therapy based on actual patient needs, preventing both over-treatment (wasting resources) and under-treatment (reducing efficacy). The feedback loop ensures treatment coverage is optimized while minimizing resource consumption.
2Reliability
If continuous therapy is provided, then treatment efficacy is maintained, but tolerance develops reducing long-term effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic or intermittent therapy delivery based on detected patient states rather than continuous administration. By delivering therapy in periodic bursts aligned with actual patient needs (e.g., during awake states or specific physiological conditions), the system maintains treatment efficacy while reducing cumulative exposure that leads to tolerance. This periodic action pattern prevents habituation while ensuring treatment is available when most needed.
3Use of energy by moving object
If patient state monitoring and automatic adjustment is implemented, then resource efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service functionality where the device automatically monitors patient state and adjusts therapy parameters without requiring external intervention. The embedded sensors and control algorithms enable the system to autonomously optimize resource usage based on detected patient conditions. This self-service capability resolves the contradiction by automating the complexity internally while delivering resource efficiency externally, eliminating the need for manual programming or adjustment.
4Loss of energy
If therapy is adjusted based on patient state, then resource consumption decreases, but measurement and detection requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional sensors that can detect multiple patient states using single or integrated sensing elements. These universal sensors capture various physiological parameters (movement, temperature, electrical activity) that indicate different patient states, eliminating the need for separate specialized sensors for each condition. This multi-functionality approach resolves the contradiction by reducing overall detection complexity while enabling comprehensive state monitoring for optimized resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A drug infusion system located at least partially external to the patient having a pump and a patient programmer control configured to present to the patient a question and receive patient input information in response thereto. A patient response rule module is configured to apply a rule to the input information provided by a patient. For example, the patient response rule can be used to provide an insulin pump setting according to the patient response rule or to provide a setting, or to provide a setting that is proposed to the user. Other systems and methods are also described such as asking questions related to the adjustment of future therapy settings.