Small SimulCharge Adapters Aid Medical Tech Company’s Heart Implant Device

Previously, we looked at the origin of the uSTS-1U MINI and uSynC-1U MINI adapters and how they benefited one of LAVA’s clients in the digital healthcare industry. This article will look at another application of these SimulCharge adapters in the medical field.

This customer, a cardiovascular implant company, was using Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 tablets to act as human interface devices to communicate with a proprietary heart implant device. The company sought an easy-to-use Micro USB adapter that was small and quasi-portable, as the tablets would be used by an older customer base. It needed to have one USB port and, more importantly, some sort of battery protection to keep the tablets from overcharging, and overheating – all primary causes of battery bloating. Some of the patients’ homes, located in the southern United States, were not air conditioned and could easily reach 40 C (104 F) causing strain on the tablets and their batteries.

The uSTS-1U MINI was the logical choice for this customer. The same size as LAVA’s Home Series Charge-Plus USB-C adapter, the uSTS-1U MINI is a SimulCharge adapter designed for use with select Samsung Micro USB mobile devices. Looking towards longevity and continuity, beyond their existing 700 S2 tablets, the company also began testing of the uSynC-1U MINI for when it would eventually upgrade or transfer to more modern and available USB-C based Samsung tablets. The uSynC-1U MINI is of the same form factor and specification as the uSTS-1U MINI with one (uSynC) being designed for USB-C and the other (uSTS) for Micro USB tablets. Both adapters feature one USB-A port, which in this application, allows the tablet to connect to a communication module that interacts with the implanted medical device. They also come with Continuously Active Battery Modulation (CABM), which is a plug-and-play version of LAVA’s signature battery modulation technology. CABM monitors the mobile device as it charges. When the current slows, which indicates the device is near a full charge, the adapter disconnects charging power to the mobile device. The mobile device can still communicate with the USB port but the mobile device’s battery is allowed to discharge. After a timeout of a preset number of hours, the mobile device will start charging again.

Most of LAVA’s CABM-equipped adapters come with a button to configure these timeouts. However for simplicity of use and size considerations, the uSTS-1U MINI and uSynC-1U MINI timeouts are programmed at the factory and cannot be reconfigured in the field by the user. CABM protects the customers’ tablets from overcharging and battery bloating. By extension, the intermittent stoppages in charging help to reduce tablet heat generation, allowing them to work better in hot summer temperatures.

By providing plug-and-play Battery Modulation technology with the CABM, the small, portable uSTS-1U MINI and uSynC-1U MINI SimulCharge adapters fulfilled the cardiovascular device company’s needs.