Wireless and inductively powered implant for measuring electrocardiogram.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Implantable Medical Devices
• Wireless Sensor Networks

Background:

• Development of implantable medical devices requires integrated electronics for sensing, power, and data communication.
• Wireless power and data transfer are crucial for long-term implantable systems to avoid battery replacement surgeries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an active implantable device for electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements.
• To integrate wireless data and power transfer capabilities into the implantable ECG instrumentation.
• To assess the performance of the developed implant through in vitro and in vivo testing.

Main Methods:

• Designed an active implantable device incorporating ECG measurement electronics, wireless power, and data communication.
• Utilized electromagnetic induction for wireless power transfer from an external reader device.
• Conducted in vitro tests on a body surface and in a water container.
• Performed in vivo testing on four cows over a 24-hour implantation period under veterinary supervision.

Main Results:

• The developed implant successfully integrated all necessary electronics for ECG measurement and wireless communication.
• In vitro testing demonstrated the functionality of the implant on body surface and in a water environment.
• Successful 24-hour in vivo implantation and data acquisition were achieved in cows, validating the system's performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed active implantable device effectively measures ECG with integrated wireless power and data transfer.
• The system shows promise for long-term, battery-less ECG monitoring in various applications.
• In vivo validation in a large animal model confirms the potential clinical applicability of this technology.