Medical Treatment System Fault Detection via Signal Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing treatment systems face challenges in quickly completing treatments due to the time required to replace faulty parts, especially when faults occur during procedures, leading to potential disruptions and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A treatment system that includes a signal detection section to monitor current and voltage of a drive signal, a signal extraction section to extract signals within specific frequency bands, and a fault detection section to identify precursory phenomena of faults, allowing for timely warnings and adjustments to extend the treatment duration, thereby preventing faults during ongoing procedures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fault monitoring is performed using resistance measurement of the heat generation section, then fault detection capability is improved, but treatment interruption time increases when a fault occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault detection capabilityVSAvoidtreatment interruption time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary fault detection by monitoring resistance values of the heat generation section before treatment begins. The control unit checks whether the resistance is within a predetermined range, and only allows treatment to proceed if the check passes. This preliminary action ensures that faults are detected and addressed before they can interrupt treatment, thereby improving reliability without causing treatment interruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If spare treatment instruments are kept ready for quick replacement, then treatment continuity is improved, but system complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment continuityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment instrument performs self-diagnosis by automatically monitoring its own heat generation section's resistance. The control unit continuously checks the resistance value and compares it against predetermined thresholds, enabling the system to detect faults autonomously without requiring external monitoring equipment or complex backup systems. This self-service approach maintains treatment continuity through early fault detection while avoiding the complexity and cost of spare instrument management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If detailed resistance monitoring is implemented to detect precursory phenomena, then fault prediction accuracy is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault prediction accuracyVSAvoidresistance measurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors changes in resistance parameters of the heat generation section over time to detect precursory phenomena of faults. By establishing predetermined reference ranges for resistance values and monitoring deviations from these ranges, the system can predict faults before they occur. This parameter-based monitoring approach achieves reliable fault prediction using standard measurement capabilities without requiring excessive measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 the treatment system to detect precursory phenomena of faults, allowing for proactive measures to prevent interruptions and ensure the completion of treatments efficiently by extending the treatment time until a fault occurs, thus facilitating quicker treatment completion.

Implementation Method 1

a heat generation section and the heat generation section has a structure with a plurality of heat generating substrate portions including a thin film resistors

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentEP2789306B1Treatment system
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 OLYMPUS CORPORATION(JP)
  • EP2789306B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2B
  • EP2789306B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~4
  • EP2789306B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A treatment system 1 includes a pair of openable/closable holding sections 10 that has a heat generation section 20 for applying thermal energy and holds a living tissue, a signal output section 31 that supplies a drive signal to the heat generation section 20, a setting section 32 that sets a target temperature of the heat generation section 20, a signal detection section 33 that detects a current and a voltage of the drive signal, a control section 34 that controls a temperature of the heat generation section 20 by adjusting a power of the drive signal, a signal extraction section 35 that extracts a signal of a predetermined frequency band from the drive signal detected by the signal detection section 33, and a fault detection section 36 that detects a precursory phenomenon of a fault of the heat generation section 20 on the basis of an extracted signal extracted by the signal extraction section 35.