Catheter breach loop feedback fault detection with active and inactive driver system

• US 9,861,422 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hareland, Scott A
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAJAPUTRA, SURESH KS
• Application Number:
  US14/741,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20160367305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1233 with circuits for assuring patient safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00119 alarm; indicating an abnormal situation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0022 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00285 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0066 without feedback, i.e. open loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00779 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00827 Current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00898 Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0212 using an instrument inserted into a body lumen, e.g. catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0262 using a circulating cryogenic fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1293 having means to prevent interference
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/40 by using electric means, e.g. by observing electric discharges
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0262 Confirmation of fault detection, e.g. extra checks to confirm that a failure has indeed occurred

Abstract

A fault-detection method, system, and device for a cryosurgical system that avoids a false-positive detection of a fault condition, such as fluid ingress within the system. The fault-detection mechanism may generally include a driver having an active mode and an inactive mode, the driver generating an output signal when the driver is in active mode, a detector, the detector capable of receiving the driver output signal, and a detector verification controller in communication with the driver and the detector, the detector verification controller changing the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode when the detector receives the driver output signal. The controller may determine a true fault condition if the controller determines there is a correlation between the signal received by the detector and the driver output signal. All other possible fault conditions may be ignored if the controller determines that the signals are not correlated.

Claims

1. A fault-detection mechanism comprising:

a driver having an active mode and an inactive mode, the driver being configured to generate an output signal when the driver is in active mode;

a detector, the detector configured to receive the driver output signal in a potential fault condition; and

a detector verification controller in communication with the driver and the detector, the detector verification controller being configured to;

change the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode when the detector receives the driver output signal;

monitor the detector for a subsequent sampling interval after the detector verification controller changes the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode; and

signal a true fault condition when the detector responds to the change of the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode during the subsequent sampling interval.

2. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 1, wherein the driver and the detector define an electrical circuit having an open condition and a closed condition.

3. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 2, wherein the detector receives the driver output signal when the electrical circuit is in the closed condition.

4. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 3, wherein the electrical circuit is in the closed condition when a fluid shunts the driver output signal to the detector.

5. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 3, wherein receipt of the driver output signal by the detector indicates a possible fault condition.

6. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 5, wherein the detector verification controller is programmed to determine a value of correlation between the driver output signal and the signal received by the detector.

7. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 6, wherein the detector verification controller determines that the possible fault condition is a true fault condition when the correlation value is above a predetermined threshold.

8. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 7, wherein the predetermined threshold is 80%.

9. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 6, wherein the detector verification controller determines that the possible fault condition is a false-positive fault condition when the correlation value is below a predetermined threshold.

10. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 9, wherein the predetermined threshold is 80%.

11. The fault-detection mechanism of claim 9, wherein the fault-detection mechanism does not generate an alert when the detector verification controller determines that the possible fault condition is a false-positive fault condition.

12. A system for fluid ingress detection, the system comprising:

an electrical circuit having a closed condition and an open condition, the electrical circuit including;

a driver having an active mode and an inactive mode, the driver generating an output signal when the driver is in active mode;

a detector configured to receive the output signal when the electrical circuit is in the closed condition; and

a detector verification controller in communication with the driver and the detector, the detector verification controller configured to;

change the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode when the detector receives the driver input signal;

monitor the detector for a subsequent sampling interval after the detector verification controller changes the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode; and

signal a fault condition when the detector responds to the change of the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode during the subsequent sampling interval.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein receipt of the driver output signal by the detector indicates a possible fluid ingress condition.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the detector verification controller is programmed to determine a value of correlation between the driver output signal and the signal received by the detector.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the detector verification controller determines that the fluid ingress is present when the correlation value is above a predetermined threshold.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the detector verification controller determines that fluid ingress is not present when the correlation value is below a predetermined threshold.

17. A method of identifying a fault within a medical system, the method comprising:

generating an output signal from an active driver in an electrical circuit;

receiving the output signal by a detector;

inactivating the driver;

then, during a subsequent sampling interval after inactivating the driver, determining a correlation value between the output signal from the driver and the received signal by the detector; and

then one of indicating a true fault condition when the correlation value is one of equal to and greater than a predetermined threshold value and indicating a no-fault condition when the correlation value is less than the predetermined threshold value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined threshold value is 80%.