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 通道，并演示植入式医疗器械（IMD）的无线控制和实时视频流 通过超声波通信通道穿过组织。开发新的使能技术， 提供个性化医疗护理的手段是非常重要的。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， 患者无需到诊所就诊。在不久的将来，来自 这样的设备将与外部无线网络交互以向医生发送诊断信息， 临床评价当从可穿戴医疗设备向外部无线设备发送信息以 传输到诊所是直接的，诊断信息从IMD传输到外部 设备仍然是一项发展中的技术。为了实现与IMD的无线通信，通信信道 从外部设备到IMD的传输必须高速、安全、低功耗、可靠， IMD上的接收元件需要尺寸小。 为了满足这些需求，正在探索沟通渠道，从 IMD到外部接收器，反之亦然。到目前为止，声学或超声波通信信道具有 被忽视，主要是因为人们认为超声波通信速率太慢， 传输诸如医疗诊断之类的信息。然而，最近在我们的实验室里，我们证明了 能够以120 Mbps的数据速率以临床超声频率传输声学信息，这是一种新的 世界纪录此外，我们通过厚层的猪里脊肉和牛肝演示了30 Mbps的数据速率。的 体内超声波通信信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证明， 记录和开发。超声波通信信道的研制与演示 组织将提供一种安全、可靠和高速的替代传统电磁 通讯开发和演示用于生物医学的超声通信信道 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表征 声学通信通道和超声波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， 使用具有不同带宽、方向性和输出的换能器的穿透深度和数据速率 特性.在第二个目标中，我们将展示沟通诊断信息和视频的能力。 以高数据速率流经组织（即，>10 Mbps）。示威活动将包括 控制植入的设备和通过大组织样本和兔子体内的实时视频流。

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.