Posture-Responsive Therapy System with Zone Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices, such as implantable electrical stimulators and fluid delivery systems, face challenges in maintaining effective therapy delivery as patient posture changes, leading to disruptions in treatment efficacy due to factors like electrode migration and altered symptom levels.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a graphical user interface to allow users to configure and modify posture zones associated with a patient's avatar, enabling the adjustment of therapy parameters based on detected postures, with the medical device automatically adjusting stimulation or fluid delivery accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If therapy parameters are fixed according to initial programming, then device simplicity is maintained, but therapy effectiveness deteriorates when patient posture changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic therapy delivery by continuously monitoring patient posture through sensors and automatically adjusting therapy parameters based on detected posture changes. The system transitions from static, pre-programmed therapy to dynamic, posture-responsive therapy, ensuring effective treatment regardless of patient position while managing complexity through automated control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms by sensing patient posture in real-time and using this information to adjust therapy parameters. The closed-loop control continuously monitors posture signals and modifies stimulation or fluid delivery accordingly, maintaining therapy effectiveness without requiring manual reprogramming by the patient or clinician.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual therapy adjustment is required for each posture change, then therapy adaptability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the medical device to automatically adjust its own therapy parameters in response to detected posture changes without requiring patient intervention. The system performs self-service by autonomously sensing posture, processing the information, and modifying therapy delivery, thereby maintaining high adaptability while preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical adjustment mechanisms with automated electronic control. Instead of requiring patients to physically adjust devices or manually program parameters, the patent uses sensors and microprocessors to automatically detect posture and adjust therapy, substituting mechanical user interaction with electronic automation.
3Measurement precision
If posture zones are fixed during programming, then programming simplicity is maintained, but measurement precision deteriorates when patient anatomy varies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different posture zones to have customized parameters tailored to individual patient anatomy and therapy needs. Each posture zone can be independently configured with specific detection thresholds and corresponding therapy settings, enabling precise adaptation to patient-specific characteristics while maintaining overall system structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure provides a system (10) that displays graphical representations of posture zones associated with posture states of a patient (12), on a display device (20) communicatively coupled to a medical device (14). The medical device (14) is configured to deliver therapy to the patient (12) based on detected posture states of the patient (12), where the detected posture state is based on the posture zones. The display device (20) may allow a user to manipulate the graphical representations of the posture zones, including changing the size of the posture zones. Additionally, the display device (20) may allow a user to change transition times associated with transitions between posture states, and displaying an indication of the changed transition time by highlighting the two graphical representations of the posture zones corresponding to the posture states associated with the changed transition time.