An 11 μW Sub-pJ/bit Reconfigurable Transceiver for mm-Sized Wireless Implants.

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Microwave Engineering

Background:

• Implantable medical devices require efficient wireless power and data communication.
• Existing transceivers face challenges with power delivery and data throughput through biological tissues.
• Miniaturization and low power consumption are critical for implantable systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and demonstrate a wirelessly powered transceiver for implantable devices.
• To achieve efficient power transfer and high data rates through biological tissue.
• To enable multi-device operation using Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA).

Main Methods:

• A 11 μW transceiver prototype was implemented in 65 nm CMOS technology.
• The design includes a rectifier, regulator, demodulator, modulator, controller, and sensor interface.
• A 1.32 GHz carrier with Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) modulation was used for the forward link; backscattering modulation was used for the return link.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of wireless power and data transmission through 35 mm of porcine heart tissue.
• Forward link achieved 4-20 Mbps data rates with 0.3 pJ/bit efficiency at 4 Mbps.
• Backscattering link achieved up to 2 Mbps data rates with 0.7 pJ/bit efficiency.
• The device supports TDMA for multiple implantable devices.

Conclusions:

• The designed transceiver offers a viable solution for wireless power and data communication in implantable devices.
• The low power consumption and high data rates are suitable for advanced biomedical applications.
• The TDMA support facilitates scalable multi-device systems within the body.