Wireless High-Bandwidth Trans-cutaneous Signal Transmission

无线高带宽经皮信号传输

• 批准号: G1100550/1
• 负责人: Stuart Baker
• 金额: $ 9.17万
• 依托单位: Newcastle University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2012 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G1100550%2F1
• 关键词: Wireless; Bandwidth; Trans; cutaneous; Signal

Many experiments on animals record a signal from inside the body: examples might be blood pressure and heart rate, or the electrical activity of muscles or the brain. In order to analyse these signals, they must be transferred to a system outside the body. This is often done using a connector implanted surgically on the skin. The experimenter plugs a recording device in to this connector to make measurements. Unfortunately, this approach can be problematic. The skin is a natural barrier to infection. Normally, if we sustain a minor injury, the wound heals rapidly. The body mounts an immediate immune response, and counteracts any infection which might have entered during the short time that the wound remained open. However, if a wire and connector is permanently implanted onto an animal?s skin, it creates a breach of this natural barrier. It is very difficult to prevent infections in such a case. These infections can pose a significant welfare problem to the animal. An infected animal may give reduced data, or even in extreme cases invalid data, so infections also impair the conduct of the experiment. Finally, sometimes very severe infections may require the animal to be humanely killed, terminating an otherwise productive experiment, and requiring another animal to be used to obtain the results.In a previous project funded by NC3Rs, we designed a novel radio-based system to transmit signals wirelessly through the skin; it was also wirelessly powered. Although telemetry systems have been developed previously, our system took such technology to new limits. It has 16 channels; current systems have only 2-3. It faithfully transmits rapidly changing signals: existing telemeters work only with slowly varying waveforms. Finally, wireless powering avoids the need for frequent battery changes, allowing a long implant life without further surgery. The system was successfully implanted in a monkey, and remained infection free. It powered up on demand, and transmitted data. However, a problem with the initial signal amplifier stage prevented it from being practically useful.In this proposal, we will develop the system further to solve the problem with the amplifier. We will then test it in a monkey, as part of experiments carried out in the principal applicant?s laboratory. This will be an immediate refinement of technique for the principal applicant. We will then commercialise the system so that it can be used by other laboratories, in a wide range of applications and species.

许多动物实验记录了来自身体内部的信号：例如血压和心率，或肌肉或大脑的电活动。为了分析这些信号，它们必须被转移到体外的系统。这通常是通过外科手术在皮肤上植入一个连接器来完成的。实验者将一个记录装置插入这个接头进行测量。不幸的是，这种方法可能存在问题。皮肤是防止感染的天然屏障。通常情况下，如果我们受了点轻伤，伤口会很快愈合。身体立即产生免疫反应，并抵消在伤口保持开放的短时间内可能进入的任何感染。然而，如果电线和连接器被永久植入动物体内？它破坏了皮肤的天然屏障。在这种情况下，很难预防感染。这些感染会给动物带来严重的福利问题。受感染的动物可能提供较少的数据，甚至在极端情况下提供无效的数据，因此感染也损害了实验的进行。最后，有时非常严重的感染可能需要人道地杀死动物，从而终止原本富有成效的实验，并需要使用另一种动物来获得结果。在NC3Rs之前资助的一个项目中，我们设计了一种基于无线电的新型系统，可以通过皮肤无线传输信号；它也是无线供电的。虽然以前已经开发了遥测系统，但我们的系统将这种技术推向了新的极限。它有16个频道；目前的系统只有2-3个。它忠实地传输快速变化的信号：现有的遥测仪只能处理缓慢变化的波形。最后，无线供电避免了频繁更换电池的需要，使植入物寿命更长，无需进一步手术。该系统成功地植入了一只猴子体内，并没有感染。它可以按需供电，传输数据。然而，一个问题与初始信号放大器级阻止了它的实际用途。在本提案中，我们将进一步开发系统以解决放大器的问题。然后，我们将在猴子身上进行测试，作为在主申请人身上进行的实验的一部分。s实验室。这将是对主申请人技术的直接改进。然后，我们将把该系统商业化，以便其他实验室可以在广泛的应用和物种中使用它。