Thermal Therapy Sensor Calibration for Patient Temperature Variations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with lower than average core body temperature may receive excessive energy delivery to healthy tissue during thermal therapy due to inadequate calibration of temperature sensors, which is not accounted for in existing methods.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the calibration of temperature sensors by monitoring their stabilized temperature values against a normal body temperature range, with adjustments made if the values are below the average, ensuring accurate energy delivery by applying an offset to prevent overheating of adjacent healthy tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If temperature sensors are calibrated to average body temperature (34.4-37.8°C), then thermal therapy can be delivered effectively to intended tissue, but excessive energy may be delivered to healthy adjacent tissue in patients with lower body temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the calibration temperature of the temperature sensor based on the patient's actual body temperature. Instead of using a fixed calibration temperature (34.4-37.8°C), the system dynamically changes the calibration parameter to match the patient's specific body temperature, thereby preventing excessive energy delivery to healthy tissue while maintaining effective thermal therapy to the intended tissue.
2Ease of manufacture
If temperature sensor calibration is performed without considering individual patient body temperature variations, then the calibration process remains simple and standardized, but patients with lower body temperature receive excessive energy to healthy tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by automatically measuring the patient's body temperature and using this measurement to dynamically adjust the temperature sensor calibration. The calibration process serves itself by using the patient's own physiological data (body temperature) to set the appropriate calibration parameters, eliminating the need for manual calibration adjustments while ensuring safe energy delivery.
3Device complexity
If a fixed temperature threshold is used for energy delivery control, then the control system is simple to implement, but it cannot accommodate patients with lower body temperature who require reduced energy thresholds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the temperature threshold for energy delivery control dynamic rather than fixed. The control system continuously monitors the patient's body temperature and adjusts the energy delivery threshold in real-time based on the patient's actual temperature. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to accommodate individual patient variations while maintaining a relatively simple control architecture.
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
This approach effectively limits excessive energy delivery to healthy tissue by calibrating temperature sensors to account for lower body temperatures, ensuring safer and more controlled thermal therapy procedures.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnetic energy emitter, i.e. an antenna... Electromagnetic energy is then delivered to the first tissue region to provide the thermal treatment
Implementation Method 2
A temperature sensor is placed adjacent to a second tissue region in the body, proximate to the first tissue region
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal therapy of body tissue with electromagnetic energy is controlled by feedback from one or more temperature sensors placed in the vicinity of the tissue to be treated. The temperature sensors are calibrated by comparing stabilized temperature values of the one or more temperature sensors against a normal range of body temperature and adjusting sensed temperature to a value within a normal body temperature range if the actual temperature value of a stabilized temperature sensor is less than the normal body temperature range. The temperature adjustment to the temperature sensor is maintained throughout the thermal therapy which reduces the risk of thermal damage to healthy tissue located near the tissue to be treated.