A new technique for transmission of signals from implantable transducers

To reduce space requirements for implant electronics in in vivo telemetry applications, the purpose of this project was to develop and test a new data transmission method that utilizes the ionic properties of bodily fluids as the transmission medium. Motivated by an interest in using the new method to transmit information from a sensor which measures tension in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) grafts, a sine wave was injected into a cadaver leg using platinum electrodes implanted into the lateral femoral epicondyle. The signal was detected by electromyogram (EMG) surface electrodes. The effect of transmission frequency, the current injected, interelectrode separation, distance of the electrodes from the joint line, and the surface of electrode placement on the signal attenuation was studied. The logarithmic relation between attenuation and frequency was constant from 2 kHz until 10 kHz. For frequencies above 10 kHz, the attenuation increased linearly at the rate of 1 dB/octave. Attenuation was inversely sensitive to both current and interelectrode separation with larger separations and currents giving less attenuation. Attenuation was significantly less for the lateral thigh surface than for the anterior surface and increased with increasing distance from the joint line for both surfaces. For the application of interest here, suitable values of transmission variables to avoid the possible negative consequences of injecting current into living tissue are a current of 3 mA injected at a frequency of 37 kHz. The values of reception variables for minimum attenuation are wide interelectrode separation (5 cm) with the electrodes placed 5 cm proximal of the joint line on the lateral surface of the thigh. With the exception of the surface which is application dependent, these values of the reception variables should also be appropriate for other applications.