A Wireless Communications Platform for Implantable Microinstruments

The innovation proposed is a platform for wireless communication based on magnetic telemetry that enables implantable micro instruments without batteries to acquire instructions, sense physical and chemical parameters, perform basic signal processing and on-site conditioning, and communicate information over 15cm. The platform, including electronics hardware and a protocol for a wide range of sensing devices and interfaces, will couple with emerging micro technologies for biochemical and biophysical applications to provide long term, implantable solutions. This proposal is innovative because the expected performance gains of the batteryless technology would enable much smaller implant sizes, increased transmission distance, and longer lifetimes than what is currently available today for monitoring chemical or physical parameters internal to the human body. In addition, this platform is capable of bi-directional communication that could allow for actively responding to individual needs such as closed-loop drug delivery. The Phase I effort involves designing the overall system architecture, proving the technical feasibility, and developing a prototype circuit design. Phase II builds on this platform and increases flexibility by incorporating a number of features into the electronics that enable the compatibility of a wide variety of interfaces and flexible performance options.