Tissue Flap Blood Flow Monitoring With Trend Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current blood flow monitors require physical clinician presence for monitoring, lack data representation over time, and fail to provide data trends, leading to inefficiencies and potential false positives or negatives in tissue flap monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A blood flow monitor with multiple visual display fields and sensors to track blood flow and tissue characteristics over time, allowing for remote monitoring and data trend analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional blood flow monitors are used with audible representations only, then the monitoring function is simple, but the clinician must be physically present in the patient room, reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/acoustic monitoring system (audible representations through speakers) with an optical/electronic visual display system. The blood flow monitor now presents visual representations of blood flow data on a display screen, allowing clinicians to monitor remotely without being physically present in the patient room, thereby improving productivity while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a visual display interface as an intermediary between the blood flow sensor and the clinician. This intermediary presents processed visual representations of blood flow data, enabling remote monitoring and eliminating the need for direct physical presence in the patient room, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and productivity
2Device complexity
If single data point representation is used, then the device complexity is low, but data trends are not provided, worsening measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from representing blood flow data as a single static data point to displaying data across multiple dimensions: time (historical trends), frequency (spectral analysis), and combined time-frequency representations. This multi-dimensional visual presentation provides comprehensive data trends and patterns while maintaining manageable device complexity through software-based processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the blood flow data representation into multiple distinct visual display fields: a first visual display field for time-domain data, a second visual display field for frequency-domain data, and a third visual display field for combined time-frequency data. This segmentation allows comprehensive analysis while keeping each individual display element relatively simple, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and measurement precision
3Measurement precision
If multiple visual display fields are added, then data trends are provided improving measurement precision, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional visual display system where a single display device performs multiple functions: presenting time-domain blood flow data, frequency-domain data, and combined time-frequency representations. This universal display approach provides comprehensive measurement precision while avoiding the need for separate dedicated display devices for each function, thus managing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple types of blood flow data representations (time-domain, frequency-domain, and combined) into a unified visual display interface. By combining these different data perspectives in one integrated system with multiple visual display fields, the patent achieves high measurement precision while maintaining cohesive device architecture, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
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 efficient, remote monitoring of tissue flaps with real-time data representation, reducing false interventions and ensuring timely intervention when needed.
Implementation Method 1
a first sensor attached to the first blood vessel such that it contacts the first blood vessel; attaching the first sensor to a blood flow monitor that has a first visual display field
Implementation Method 2
a second sensor attached to the tissue flap to monitor a characteristic of the tissue flap, the second sensor is different than the first sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Blood flow monitors and methods of monitoring characteristics of tissue are described. An example method of monitoring characteristics of tissue includes: placing a tissue flap at a point of treatment, the tissue flap is a section of tissue that includes a blood vessel; attaching a first sensor to the tissue flap to monitor blood flow through the blood vessel; attaching the first sensor to a blood flow monitor that has a first visual display field and a second visual display field; attaching a second sensor to the tissue flap to monitor a characteristic of the tissue flap; attaching the second sensor to the blood flow monitor; activating the blood flow monitor to observe the blood flow through the first blood vessel and the characteristic of the tissue flap; and monitoring the blood flow through the first blood vessel over a period of time and the characteristic of the tissue flap.