Redundant Implantable Device Messaging During Cardiac Blanking Periods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable medical devices face challenges in reliable wireless communication due to changing orientations and physiological movements, leading to unreliable transmission and reception of messages.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a redundant message transmission system with blanking periods during cardiac cycles to ensure robust communication, where controllers treat multiple transmissions of the same message as a single instruction, and monitor cardiac activity for confirmation of therapy delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant message transmissions are implemented during cardiac cycles, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a communication protocol that includes transmitting multiple redundant messages during predetermined blanking periods of the cardiac cycle. This preliminary action ensures that even if physiological movements disrupt some transmissions, the receiver can still reliably obtain the message content without requiring complex real-time error correction mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system utilizes the periodic nature of cardiac cycles to schedule message transmissions during blanking periods when the heart is electrically quiet. By aligning transmissions with this natural periodic rhythm, the system achieves reliable communication without requiring continuous high-power transmission or complex adaptive modulation schemes.
2Reliability
If multiple transmissions of the same message are received, then communication robustness is improved, but message processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving device creates a duplicate copy of the received message and stores it in memory. When multiple transmissions of the same message are detected, the system compares the copies and identifies them as redundant, then executes the message only once. This copying approach simplifies the processing logic compared to implementing complex real-time duplicate detection and filtering algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the receiving device monitors incoming messages for duplicates and provides feedback by executing the message only once regardless of how many times it is received. This feedback-based approach ensures robustness against redundant transmissions without requiring complex processing to identify and filter duplicates.
3Measurement precision
If blanking periods are instituted during cardiac cycles, then therapy delivery accuracy is improved, but time for communication is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system dynamically adapts to the cardiac cycle by scheduling transmissions during blanking periods when the heart is electrically quiet. This dynamic timing ensures that communication occurs when physiological interference is minimal, improving therapy delivery accuracy without requiring extended communication windows that would conflict with cardiac activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-schedules message transmissions to occur during predetermined blanking periods of the cardiac cycle. By planning communications in advance during these quiet periods, the system ensures accurate therapy delivery timing without requiring additional time beyond the natural cardiac cycle rhythm.
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
Enhances communication reliability and therapy delivery by accounting for physiological changes, ensuring accurate and robust wireless communication between implantable medical devices.
Implementation Method 1
to receive messages transmitted by conducted communication from a remote implantable medical device (IMD) via a pair of the plurality of electrodes
Data Source
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AI summary
Implantable medical devices (IMD), such as but not limited to leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCP), subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators (SICD), transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillators, neuro-stimulators (NS), implantable monitors (IM), may be configured to communicate with each other. In some cases, a first IMD may transmit instructions to a second IMD. In order to improve the chances of a successfully received transmission, the first IMD may transmit the instructions several times during a particular time frame, such as during a single heartbeat. If the second IMD receives the message more than once, the second IMD recognizes that the messages were redundant and acts accordingly.