Model-based design of control modules for neuromodulation devices

Control systems design may be a difficult task when the system to be controlled is complex, poorly understood, and with limited observability. This is often the case of biological or physiological systems. In this paper, we present a model-based control design framework, which is adapted to the design of medical devices. This framework couples a control module, based on a classical PID controller, a model of the medical device, and a physiological model representing the cardiovascular responses to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). An example is proposed in which the goal of the controller is to regulate instantaneous heart rate in real-time, by modulating the current delivered to the vagus nerve by the neuromodulator in an adaptive manner. Results of the definition of the control system with different controller parameters and for different model configurations are provided, showing the feasibility and usefulness of a model-based design in this context.