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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016367305-A1
Application number	US-201514741637-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fault-detection mechanism comprising:
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.

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 7 , wherein the fault-detection mechanism generates an alert when the detector verification controller determines that the possible fault condition is a true fault condition.

10 . 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.

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

12 . The fault-detection mechanism of claim 10 , 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.

13 . 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 capable of receiving 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 changing the driver from the active mode to the inactive mode when the detector receives the driver input signal.

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

15 . The system of claim 14 , 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.

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

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the detector verification controller determines that fluid ingress is not present when the correlation value is below a predetermined threshold.

18 . 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; and then determining a correlation value between the output signal from the driver and the received signal by the detector.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein a fault condition is indicated when the correlation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value and a no-fault condition is indicated when the correlation value is less than a predetermined threshold value.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is 80%.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Hareland Scott A

Classifications

• A61B2018/00898

  Alarms or notifications created in response to an abnormal condition · CPC title

• A61B2018/0212

  using an instrument inserted into a body lumen, e.g. catheter · CPC title

• G01M3/40

  by using electric means, e.g. by observing electric discharges · CPC title

• A61B18/02 Primary

  by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques · CPC title

• G05B23/0262

  Confirmation of fault detection, e.g. extra checks to confirm that a failure has indeed occurred · CPC title