Segmented Memory Buffer for Implantable Device Data Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implanted medical devices face memory capacity and data management limitations, leading to the loss of important physiologic data due to FIFO memory buffer constraints, where excess data exceeds available memory space, causing the oldest data to be lost regardless of its importance.
Innovation Solution
An implantable medical device with multiple sense channels that stores waveform data with specified pre-event and post-event times, using triggers such as seizure detection algorithms and cardiac arrhythmia logic, and prioritizes data storage in a circular buffer to manage limited memory effectively, ensuring the most relevant data is preserved and reported.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a FIFO memory buffer is used to store physiologic data, then the memory management is simple and automatic, but the oldest data is lost regardless of its importance when memory capacity is exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The memory buffer is segmented into multiple priority levels (first priority, second priority, third priority buffers). Each segment stores data with specific importance characteristics, allowing the system to preserve critical physiologic data while automatically managing memory. The segmentation enables differentiated retention policies without complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the memory buffer have different quality characteristics based on data importance. The first priority buffer retains oldest data with highest importance, while lower priority buffers allow overwriting. This local differentiation of data quality within the memory structure prevents loss of critical information while maintaining automatic management.
2Measurement precision
If more physiologic data is recorded to improve diagnostic accuracy, then the measurement precision increases, but the memory capacity is exceeded more quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The memory system is divided into multiple priority segments that can store different quantities of data based on importance. This allows the system to record extensive physiologic data for diagnostic accuracy while organizing it into manageable segments that fit within total memory capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of data retention by assigning different retention policies to different priority levels. High-priority data maintains longer retention periods and higher retention probabilities, while lower priority data has shorter retention. This parameter differentiation allows increased total data recording without proportionally increasing memory requirements.
3Productivity
If a circular buffer is used to overwrite old data when memory is full, then the memory usage is optimized, but critical old data may be overwritten
Solution Approach 1:
The circular buffer concept is applied differently to each priority segment. The first priority buffer does not overwrite critical old data, while lower priority buffers use circular overwriting. This segmentation allows efficient memory usage in non-critical areas while protecting critical data integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the buffer system have different overwriting characteristics. The first priority buffer has protective quality that prevents overwriting of critical data, while other buffers have efficient overwriting quality. This local quality differentiation maintains both reliability and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus is provided for handling multiple recordings that result from events in a limited memory device. The events may include various automatic and manual triggers. The method provides a mechanism for storing different configurations of data, associated with different events.