STTR Phase I: Improving the Communications Performance and Reliability of In Vivo Wireless Medical Devices

提高体内无线医疗设备的通信性能和可靠性这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的目标是推进新型无线通信技术，使其能够实现高性能、可靠的通信，并能够克服联网体内医疗设备之间的链路和/或电源故障。通过体内无线信道实现这一目标是一个相当大的挑战，这是一个新兴的、高风险的领域，具有从根本上改变医疗保健的巨大潜力。例如，通过利用体内医疗设备的分布式无线网络提供的可能性，实现这一目标可以为微创手术（MIS）提供新的范例。本研究中研究的新使能技术将包括跨OFDM子信道的分组级编码和使用空间不同多跳链路的合作网络编码。这些技术将在许多无线系统中得到应用。最初的基准应用是设计和探索开发一个高清视频成像系统，该系统包括一个摄像头模块，该模块既可以无线控制，又可以将视频信号无线传输到外部接收器。在本研究中，摄像机模块的设计将被扩展到能够与其他此类摄像机模块进行分布式网络连接，以展示上述新技术的好处。实现实现医疗设备之间的体内无线网络通信的高性能和可靠性的技术的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将成为从根本上改变许多生物医学应用的重要组成部分，并在创造巨大的商业、职业、在这个项目中设计的原型相机模块将为微创手术（MIS）提供一种全新的分布式网络方法，并且可以以更低的成本取代有线内窥镜，这已经得到了组件和制造合作伙伴的验证。启用无线体域网络（WBAN）设备（如嵌入式传感器和执行器）来提供可靠的连续监测或/和驱动，将刺激医疗保健领域的许多其他范式转变。预期的无线创新将实现高性能和可靠性，几乎为零延迟，并减少体内无线信道上的干扰，这也将对其他特殊用途无线系统（如传感器系统和应急通信系统）的实现解决方案产生广泛影响。除了提高这些专用无线设备的能力之外，这些创新还提供了基础技术，将显著推进包括下一代蜂窝和WLAN系统在内的多种无线系统的无线接入和频谱利用。

Improving the Communications Performance and Reliability of In Vivo WirelessMedical DevicesThis Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project has the goal of advancing novel wireless communications technologies that enable high performance, reliable communications, and the ability to overcome link and/or power failures among networked in vivo medical devices. Achieving this goal over the in vivo wireless channel is a considerable challenge in a nascent, high-risk, field with enormous potential for radically transforming healthcare. For example, achieving this goal enables a new paradigm for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) by exploiting the possibilities offered by distributed wireless networking of in vivo medical devices. Novel enabling technologies investigated in this research will include packet-level coding across OFDM subchannels and cooperative network coding using spatially distinct multihop links. Such technologies will have application in many wireless systems. An initial benchmark application is the design and exploratory development of a high-definition video imaging system that includes a Camera Module that is both wirelessly controlled and wirelessly communicates the video signals to an external receiver. In this research, the Camera Module design will be extended to be capable of distributed networking with other such Camera Modules to demonstrate the benefits of the above novel technologies. The broader impact/commercial potential of realizing technologies that achieve high performance and reliability for in vivo wireless networked communications among medical devices will be an important component in radically transforming many biomedical applications, and in the creation of vast commercial, career, and educational opportunities The prototype Camera Modules designed in this project will facilitate a fundamentally new distributed-networking approach to Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) and can replace cabled endoscopes with an order-of-magnitude lower cost that has been validated by component and manufacturing partners. Enabling Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) devices such as embedded sensors and actuators to provide reliable continuous monitoring or/and actuation will stimulate many additional paradigm shifts in healthcare. The expected wireless innovations that will realize high performance and reliability, with near zero latency, and mitigation of interference over the in vivo wireless channel will also have a broad impact on enabling solutions for other special purpose wireless systems, such as sensor systems and emergency communications systems. Beyond improving the capabilities of these special-purpose wireless devices, these innovations provide foundation technologies that will significantly advance wireless access and spectral utilization for a plurality of wireless systems, including next-generation cellular and WLAN systems.