Priority-Based Data Retention in Implantable Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implanted medical devices face limitations in memory capacity and battery life, leading to the loss of important physiologic data due to insufficient memory allocation management, particularly in FIFO buffers where older data is discarded regardless of its significance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a data storage system that uses a combination of a circular buffer and a priority-based data structure, such as a min-max heap, to selectively store and prioritize physiologic data records based on their severity and relevance, ensuring that critical data is retained and reported to clinicians.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a FIFO buffer is used to manage memory allocation, then the device can continuously store new physiologic data, but older data is discarded regardless of its significance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of data retention by introducing a priority index that assigns different retention values to different data records. Instead of uniform FIFO deletion, the system evaluates each data record's priority index and selectively retains high-priority data while discarding low-priority data, thus preventing loss of important physiologic information while maintaining continuous storage capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by treating different data records differently based on their priority indices. High-priority data records (those with higher priority indices) are retained in the memory buffer, while low-priority data records are discarded. This creates a non-uniform data retention strategy where each data record's fate is determined by its specific priority characteristic rather than its temporal position in the buffer
2Loss of information
If memory capacity is increased to retain all physiologic data, then no important data is lost, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a priority index parameter that quantifies the importance of each data record. By evaluating and comparing priority indices, the system can determine which data to retain with limited memory capacity. This parameter-based approach replaces complex memory management algorithms with a simpler priority-comparison mechanism, reducing device complexity while maintaining effective data retention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a selective discarding and recovering mechanism where data records are discarded based on their priority indices when memory is full, but high-priority data is recovered and retained. The system continuously monitors the priority index of incoming data and compares it with stored data, recovering high-priority data for retention while discarding low-priority data, thus managing limited memory capacity efficiently without increasing device complexity
3Loss of information
If all physiologic data is stored for comprehensive analysis, then complete diagnostic information is available, but battery life is reduced due to increased power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a priority index parameter that enables selective data retention based on diagnostic importance. By storing only high-priority data that meets predetermined criteria, the system maintains sufficient diagnostic information completeness while significantly reducing the volume of stored data. This parameter-based selection reduces power consumption for data storage and retrieval operations without sacrificing essential diagnostic capabilities
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for storing data records associated with a medical monitoring event in a data structure. Upon indication by a patient of a possible manifestation of a neurological event, the implanted device obtains and stores data in the data record in a first data structure that is age-based. Before an oldest data record is lost, the oldest data record may be stored in a second data structure that is priority index-based. The priority index may be determined by a severity level and may be further determined by associated factors. The implanted device may organize, off-load, report, and/or display a plurality of data records based on an associated priority index. Additionally, the implanted device may select a subset or composite of physiologic channels from the available physiologic channels based on a selection criterion.