High speed ultrasonic communications for implanted medical devices

项目摘要 拟议研究的目标是充分开发和表征超声/组织通信 并演示植入式医疗设备(IMD)和实时视频流的无线控制 通过组织通过超声通信通道。开发新的使能技术以 提供个性化医疗服务的手段意义重大。在这些使能技术中， 人类的可穿戴医疗设备或IMD将在提供连续诊断方面发挥关键作用 信息，而无需患者到诊所就诊。在不久的将来，来自 这样的设备将与外部无线网络交互，将诊断信息发送给医生 临床评价。同时将信息从可穿戴医疗设备发送到外部无线设备 将诊断信息从IMDS传输到外部设备非常简单 设备仍是一项发展中的技术。要实现与IMD的无线通信，通信渠道 从外部设备到IMD的传输必须是高速、安全、低功耗、可靠和可靠的 IMD上的接收元件需要尺寸较小。 为了满足这些需求，正在探索通信通道以从 IMD到外部接收器，反之亦然。到目前为止，声学或超声波的通信通道有 被忽视的主要原因是，人们认为超声波的通讯速度太慢了， 传输医疗诊断等信息。然而，最近在我们的实验室里，我们演示了 能够以120 Mbps的数据速率在临床超声频率上传输声学信息，这是一种新的 世界纪录。此外，我们还通过厚厚的猪腰和牛肝演示了30 Mbps的数据传输速率。这个 超声在人体内的传播渠道的发展将对医疗保健产生重大影响。 然而，这项技术必须在组织和生命系统中得到展示，并很好地展示其能力 记录和开发。我省超声波通信通道的开发与示范 组织将提供一种安全、可靠和高速的替代传统电磁的方法 通讯。生物医学超声通信通道的开发与示范 应用我们提出了两个具体目标。我们的第一个具体目标是开发和描述 声学通信通道和超声源与小型设备的集成以传输数据 通过组织。为此，我们将量化组织中的通信效率与衰减的关系， 使用具有不同带宽、方向和输出的换能器的穿透深度和数据速率 属性。在第二个目标中，我们将演示交流诊断信息和视频的能力 使用超声波以高数据速率(即，10 Mbps)流经组织。示威活动将包括 控制植入的设备，并通过大组织样本和在兔体内进行实时视频流传输。

Project Summary The goal of the proposed research is to fully develop and characterize the ultrasound/tissue communication channel and to demonstrate wireless control of an implanted medical device (IMD) and live video streaming through tissue via the ultrasound communication channel. The development of new enabling technologies to provide the means for personalizing medical care is highly significant. Among these enabling technologies, wearable medical devices or IMDs in humans will play a pivotal role in providing continuous diagnostic information without the need for the patient to visit the clinic. In the near future, diagnostic information from such devices will interact with external wireless networks to send diagnostic information to physicians for clinical evaluation. While sending information from wearable medical devices to external wireless devices for transmission to the clinic is straightforward, transmission of diagnostic information from IMDs to an external device is still a developing technology. To realize wireless communication with IMDs, communication channels from an external device to the IMD must be high speed, safe, low power, reliable and the transmission and receiving elements on the IMD need to be small in size. To meet these needs, communication channels are being explored to transmit diagnostic information from IMDs to external receivers and vice versa. Up to now, the acoustic or ultrasonic communication channel has been overlooked primarily because it was thought that ultrasonic communication rates are too slow for transmitting information such as medical diagnostics. However, recently in our laboratory, we demonstrated the capability to transmit acoustic information at clinical ultrasonic frequencies with data rates of 120 Mbps, a new world record. Further, we demonstrated 30 Mbps data rates through thick layers of pork loin and beef liver. The development of an ultrasonic communication channel in the body will have a significant impact in medical care. However, this technology must be demonstrated in tissues and living systems and its capabilities well documented and developed. The development and demonstration of the ultrasonic communication channel in tissues will provide a safe, reliable and high speed alternative to conventional electromagnetic communications. To develop and demonstrate the ultrasonic communication channel for biomedical applications we have proposed two specific aims. Our first specific aim is to develop and characterize the acoustic communication channel and integration of ultrasonic sources with small devices to transfer data through tissue. For this aim we will quantify the communication efficiencies in tissues versus attenuation, penetration depth and data rate using transducers having different bandwidths, directionalities and output properties. In the second aim we will demonstrate the ability to communicate diagnostic information and video streaming through tissues at high data rates (i.e., >10 Mbps) using ultrasound. The demonstrations will include controlling of a device implanted and live video streaming through large tissue samples and in vivo in rabbits.