CPS: Synergy: Integrated Modeling, Analysis and Synthesis of Miniature Medical Devices

Abstract: The objective of this project is to create a focused cyber-physical design environment to accelerate the development of miniature medical devices in general and swallowable systems in particular. The project develops new models and tools including a web-based integrated simulation environment,capturing the interacting dynamics of the computational and physical components of devices designed to work inside the human body, to enable wider design space exploration, and, ultimately, to lower the barriers which have thus far impeded system engineering of miniature medical devices. Currently, a few select individuals with deep domain expertise create these systems. The goal is to open this field to a wider community and at the same time create better designs through advanced tool support. The project defines a component model and corresponding domain-specific modeling language to provide a common framework for design capture, design space exploration, analysis and automated synthesis of all hardware and software artifacts. The project also develops a rich and extensible component and design template library that designers can reuse. The online design environment will provide early feedback and hence, it will lower the cost of experimentation with alternatives. The potential benefit is not just incremental (in time and cost), but can lead to novel ideas by mitigating the risk of trying unconventional solutions. Trends in consumer electronics such as miniaturization, low power operation, and wireless technologies have enabled the design of miniature devices that hold the potential to revolutionize medicine. Transformational societal public health benefits (e.g., early diagnosis of colorectal cancer or prevention of heart failure) are possible through less invasive and more accurate diagnostic and interventional devices. By eliminating large incisions in favor of natural orifices or small ports, these medical devices can increase diagnostic screening effectiveness and reduce pain and recovery time. Furthermore, if successful, the proposed scientific approach can be extended to any other application, wherever size, power efficiency, and high confidence are stringent requirements. The educational plan of the project is centered on the web-based design environment that will also contain an interface for high school students to experiment with medical cyber-physical devices in a virtual environment. Students will be able to build medical devices from a library of components, program them using an intuitive visual programming language and operate them in various simulated environments. A Summer Camp organized in the framework of this project will enhance students learning experience with real hands-on experimentation in a lab.