Wearable Medical Device Indoor Location Tracking

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Medical devices face challenges in accurately determining their location, especially indoors where GPS signals are weak, due to building infrastructure that attenuates electromagnetic waves.

Innovation Solution

The medical device employs a combination of indoor positioning system (IPS) techniques, such as dead reckoning, and GPS/GNSS location determination processes to consistently and accurately determine its location, and transmits this information to external systems for improved reliability and accessibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If GPS location determination is used, then outdoor location accuracy is improved, but indoor location determination reliability deteriorates due to weak GPS signals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation accuracyVSAvoidlocation determination reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically switches between GPS-based location determination and IPS-based location determination based on the operating environment. The controller automatically selects the appropriate positioning method: GPS for outdoor environments and IPS (using Wi-Fi access points, cell towers, or other reference points) for indoor environments, ensuring reliable location determination regardless of location

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The medical device incorporates multiple location determination capabilities (both GPS and IPS) within a single system. The device can perform both satellite-based positioning and indoor positioning using available infrastructure such as Wi-Fi access points or cell towers, making the location determination system universally applicable across both indoor and outdoor environments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Area of stationary object

If building infrastructure is present, then indoor coverage is improved, but electromagnetic wave attenuation increases reducing GPS signal strength

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindoor coverage areaVSAvoidsignal attenuation

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses intermediate reference points such as Wi-Fi access points, cell towers, or other identifiable indoor infrastructure as mediators for location determination. Instead of relying directly on GPS satellites whose signals are blocked by buildings, the device determines location by measuring signals from these intermediate indoor infrastructure elements that are not attenuated by building structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10376169B2Systems and methods of determining location using a medical device

Publication Date: 2019.08.13 ZOLL MEDICAL CORPORATION

AI summary

According to at least one aspect, a wearable medical device is provided. The wearable medical device may include a sensing electrode to sense an electrocardiogram signal of a patient, a therapy electrode to provide treatment to the patient, a garment to be worn about a torso of the patient and receive the sensing electrode and the therapy electrode, and a controller operatively coupled to the sensing electrode and the therapy electrode. The controller may be configured to determine a current location of the wearable medical device based on a previous position of the medical device and at least a speed and a direction of movement of the wearable medical device.