Engineers Connect Health Wearables and Implants Using the Body as the Network
The system uses micrometer-scale circuits and tissue conduction to extend communication range more than 10 times beyond Bluetooth, researchers said.
- Georgia Tech researchers, led by Assistant Professor Alex Abramson, introduced the Smart Wireless Autonomous Networking System on Wednesday, a technology that uses body tissue to enable communication between wearable sensors and implantable therapeutics.
- Traditional wireless methods like Bluetooth require bulky antennas and significant power, limiting device size and tissue penetration. SWANS overcomes these constraints by using passive electrical components that consume essentially no power while waiting for activation.
- Engineered circuits smaller than 3 millimeters enable syringe delivery, eliminating surgery. These low-power devices extend battery life by more than 15 times compared to radiofrequency methods and transmit signals through 30 centimeters of tissue.
- In experiments, sensors detected motion in a rat's front paw and autonomously triggered an implant to stimulate hind-leg muscles. This demonstrated how the system coordinates sensors and actuators across disparate body locations.
- Researchers hope to fully automate human health by delivering therapies exactly when and where needed. "Automation improves outcomes and simplifies treatment regimens for patients," said Ramy Ghanim, a Ph.D. student, highlighting the path toward personalized bioelectronic medicine.
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Engineers use the human body to transmit wireless device signals
Using the human body to transmit signals, Georgia Tech engineers have created a wireless networking system that allows tiny implantable sensors and actuators to communicate with each other as well as wearable devices.
Engineers connect health wearables and implants using the body as the network
Using the human body to transmit signals, Georgia Tech engineers have created a wireless networking system that allows tiny implantable sensors and actuators to communicate with each other and with wearable devices. Their ...
The findings of Ramy Ghanim and 16 other researchers published in Science introduce SWANS, short for Smart Wireless Autonomous Networking System.
An in-body networking system for communication between wearable and implantable therapeutics
From Science: Wearable and implantable bioelectronic devices are now used to routinely assess a person’s health and, for some conditions, provide interventions as needed. An ongoing challenge is the power and device size required for wireless communication between devices. Ghanim et al. designed an electronic circuit that emulates the functionality of a nervous system. The researchers were able to remotely trigger electrical stimulation devices …
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