SBIR Phase I: A Batteryless Wireless Impedance Sensor System For Gastroesophageal Reflux Diagnosis

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目探索先进技术，开发一种变革性的微型无电池无线阻抗传感器，适合通过口腔和食道进行内窥镜植入，以方便患者诊断和预测胃食道反流病(GERD)。植入式微型无电池无线设备不需要外部连接，并且能够检测酸和非酸发作，是患者和医生首选的食道反流监测设备。该系统由一个可长时间附着在食管壁上的微型纳米线传感器和一个外置可穿戴式阅读器组成。传感器的阻抗变化可以指示本质上是酸性和非酸性的回流事件。该项目的智能优势包括优化人体植入物应用的无线能量传输效率、低功率电路设计和微型器件制造/封装、用硅纳米线对传感器表面进行修改，以及整个无线传感器系统的表征。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将极大地提高对微型医疗植入物的无源无线通信的科学和技术理解，改善医疗程序，降低医疗成本，并使常规筛查方法能够准确测量，以防止无法治愈的食道癌的发生。该系统具有无电池操作、便携无线通信、阻抗传感方法和可舒适植入的微型尺寸等优点，为胃食道反流监测提供了一种创新和实用的解决方案。有了这些优势，临床医生可以通过显示定量数据的电子记录和成本效益高的门诊程序来精确诊断反流，这些程序可以用于大量人口和潜在的定期筛查。在美国和全球老龄化人口中，有1900万成年人有持续的反流症状，拟议的诊断和预后系统将对医疗保健程序和成本产生重大影响。随着舒适度和准确性的提高，该系统将使诊所能够进行常规的筛查程序，从而提供巨大的商业潜力和可持续的市场规模。该技术的开发还涉及半导体芯片在微型医疗植入物中的应用和制造以及在人体传感器网络中的便携式无线电子设备的商业潜力。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project explores advanced technologies to develop a transformative miniature batteryless wireless impedance sensor that is suitable for endoscopic implantation through the mouth and esophagus for the comfort and convenience of patients in the diagnosis and prognosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). An implantable miniature batteryless wireless device that does not require externally tethered connections and has the ability to detect acid and nonacid episodes is preferred for esophageal reflux monitoring by both patients and doctors. The proposed system consists of a miniature nanowire-based sensor which can be attached on esophagus wall for a long period of time and an external wearable reader. The impedance variations from the sensor can indicate episodes of reflux that are both acidic and non-acidic in nature. The intellectual merits in this project include the optimization of wireless power transfer efficiency for human implant applications, low-power circuitry design and miniature device fabrication/packaging, sensor surface modification with silicon nanowires, and characterization of the entire wireless sensor system.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will enhance greatly the scientific and technological understanding of passive wireless communication for miniature medical implants, improve healthcare procedures, reduce healthcare costs, and enable accurate measurements for regular screening methods to prevent the occurrence of incurable esophageal cancers. The proposed system provides an innovative and practical solution for gastroesophageal reflux monitoring with advantages of batteryless operation, portable wireless communication, impedance sensing method, and miniature size enabling comfortable endoscopic implantation. With these advantages, clinicians can precisely diagnose reflux with electronic records showing quantitative data with cost-effective and out-patient procedures that can be used for large population and potentially periodic screening. With 19 million adults who have consistent reflux symptoms in US and the global aging population, the proposed system for diagnosis and prognosis will have a significant impact on healthcare procedures and costs. With improved comfort level and accuracy, the system will enable regular screening procedures in clinics which in return offer a great commercial potential with a sustainable market size. The technology development also addresses commercial potentials for applications and manufacturing of semiconductor chips in miniature medical implants and portable wireless electronics in body sensor networking