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Updated: May 9, 2026
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Implantation and Control of Wireless, Battery-free Systems for Peripheral Nerve Interfacing
Published on: October 20, 2021
A mm-sized wirelessly powered and remotely controlled locomotive implant
Daniel Pivonka1, Anatoly Yakovlev, Ada S Y Poon
1Electrical Engineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford,CA 94305, USA. pivonka@stanford.edu
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems
|July 16, 2013
Summary
This study presents a wirelessly powered, implantable device for fluid locomotion, featuring novel low-power propulsion methods with significantly improved thrust efficiency. The compact integrated circuit enables wireless control and efficient locomotion for micro-devices.
Area of Science:
- Micro-robotics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Wireless Power Transfer
Background:
- Existing implantable devices lack efficient locomotion capabilities.
- Low-power propulsion methods are crucial for micro-scale applications.
- Wireless power and control are essential for untethered operation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a wirelessly powered and controlled implantable device for locomotion in fluid media.
- To introduce and evaluate novel low-power propulsion methods.
- To demonstrate a compact integrated circuit for device control and power management.
Main Methods:
- Design and fabrication of a 0.6 mm × 1 mm integrated circuit in 65 nm CMOS technology.
- Implementation of two scalable low-power propulsion methods.
- Utilizing asynchronous pulse-width modulation for wireless data transfer (2.5-25 Mbps).
- Integration with a 2 mm × 2 mm external receive antenna.
Main Results:
- Achieved an order of magnitude improvement in thrust conversion efficiency compared to existing methods.
- Wireless prototype received 500 μW from a 2 W signal at 5 cm distance.
- Demonstrated data rates up to 25 Mbps with 0.5 pJ/b energy efficiency at 10 Mbps.
- Propulsion system drivers achieved speeds of 0.53 cm/sec in a 0.06 T magnetic field.
Conclusions:
- The developed device offers efficient, wirelessly controlled locomotion for implantable micro-systems.
- Novel propulsion methods significantly enhance performance metrics.
- The compact design and wireless capabilities pave the way for advanced micro-robotics in fluid environments.
