Implantable Device Systolic Interval Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable medical devices lack effective methods to analyze systolic intervals and detect early signs of heart failure decompensation, which can lead to delayed therapeutic interventions.
Innovation Solution
An implantable medical device system that includes a timing circuit, cardiac impedance sensing circuit, and acoustic sensor to calculate time intervals between heart sound signals and cardiac impedance signals, allowing for the detection of changes indicative of heart failure, and optionally transmitting data for remote monitoring and therapy adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If implantable medical devices monitor only basic cardiac parameters, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision for detecting early heart failure signs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple monitoring functions within a single implantable device: cardiac electrical activity monitoring, acoustic heart sound detection, and impedance sensing. This integration allows simultaneous acquisition of multiple physiological parameters without proportionally increasing device complexity, thereby improving measurement precision for early heart failure detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The implantable device is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a pacemaker/defibrillator and a diagnostic monitoring system. The device can perform basic cardiac pacing while simultaneously analyzing systolic intervals, heart sounds, and impedance changes, making it universally applicable for both therapy and early disease detection.
2Reliability
If systolic interval analysis is implemented, then detection capability for heart failure decompensation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary analysis of systolic intervals continuously in the background, calculating time differences between heart sound signals and impedance signals before clinical symptoms manifest. This preliminary monitoring establishes baseline values and detects subtle changes that precede overt heart failure decompensation, improving reliability without requiring complex real-time intervention systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where detected systolic interval changes are compared against threshold values and historical data. When anomalies are detected, the system can trigger alerts to external monitoring systems or adjust pacing parameters, creating a closed-loop feedback system that enhances detection reliability while managing complexity through automated response protocols.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring of multiple cardiac parameters is performed, then early detection capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs periodic monitoring strategies where acoustic sensors and impedance sensors are activated at specific intervals rather than continuously. Systolic interval analysis is performed periodically based on detected heartbeats, allowing the device to accumulate diagnostic data over time while consuming energy only during active measurement and analysis phases, thus balancing early detection capability with energy conservation.
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
Enables early detection of heart failure decompensation by analyzing systolic intervals over multiple cardiac cycles, facilitating timely therapeutic interventions and potentially reducing hospitalization duration.
Implementation Method 1
an acoustic sensor coupled to the timing circuit and configured to sense an acoustic signal
Implementation Method 2
a cardiac impedance sensing circuit coupled to the timing circuit and configured to detect a cardiac impedance signal
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method provide for systolic interval analysis. In an example, an implantable device measures a cardiac impedance signal. A transformation of the cardiac impedance interval is generated. The device also measures a heart sound signal. A time interval between a point on the transformed signal of the cardiac impedance signal and a point on the heart sound signal is calculated.