Wound Therapy Device Clock Synchronization for Accurate Timestamps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wound monitoring and treatment systems face challenges in efficiently synchronizing device clocks with network time, leading to inaccuracies in timestamping and data transmission, which can affect the precision of wound therapy management and data analysis.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where a central controller adjusts the device clock to network time when a deviation exceeds a threshold, and a computing system synchronizes timestamps using a time offset to ensure accuracy, utilizing cellular or GPS networks for communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the device clock is set to internal time during configuration, then the device can operate independently without network dependency, but the timestamp accuracy and synchronization with network time deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device clock configuration is made dynamic, allowing it to switch between internal time mode (for independence) and network time mode (for accuracy). The system can adapt its time source based on network availability and synchronization needs, resolving the contradiction between operational independence and timestamp precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms to monitor network time availability and device clock status. Based on this feedback, the controller automatically determines whether to synchronize with network time or continue using internal time, balancing independence and accuracy requirements.
2Measurement precision
If the device continuously attempts to synchronize with network time, then the timestamp accuracy improves, but the device complexity and network dependency increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous synchronization attempts, the system performs partial synchronization actions - checking network time availability and synchronizing only when necessary and beneficial. This reduces the complexity of the synchronization mechanism while maintaining adequate timestamp accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The device autonomously determines when synchronization is needed based on its operational state and network conditions. The controller self-manages the synchronization process without external intervention, simplifying the overall system architecture while ensuring accurate timestamps when required.
3Device complexity
If the device uses internal time without synchronization, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of data transmission and analysis deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary synchronization with network time before critical data transmission operations. This preliminary action ensures that timestamps are accurate and synchronized before data is sent, maintaining data transmission reliability without requiring continuous complex synchronization during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the simple internal time mechanism and the requirement for network time synchronization. It manages the complexity of time coordination and presents a unified time reference to data transmission operations, ensuring reliability while keeping the overall system relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of synchronizing the device clock in wound monitoring and/or therapy systems are disclosed. In some cases, a wound monitoring and/or therapy device can maintain a device clock, which can be set to a network time obtained from a network or internal time associated with a time set during configuration of the device. The device can selectively set the device clock to the network time in response to obtaining the network time and determining that the device clock is set to the internal time. In some cases, a remote computing device can receive a record transmitted by a wound monitoring and/or treatment device. The record can include a first set of operational parameters associated with monitoring and/or provision of treatment by the device and a first timestamp indicating a time of obtaining at least some operational parameters. The remote computing device can synchronize the first timestamp with network time.