CNS Core: Small: Reconfigurable Intrabody Network for Therapeutics (RIBNeT)

由于发展中国家日益老龄化的人口以及日益严重的空气、水和食品污染，慢性病在全球范围内迅速上升。最近，不断涌现的植入式和可穿戴医疗设备为慢性病的持续监测和自动化诊断带来了新的见解。为了通过医疗设备有效地管理慢性病，本研究项目探索设计强大且可重新配置的体内治疗网络，以获取自身的能量。从此以后，我们称其为可重构的体内治疗网络或RIBNeT。由于医疗需求决定了节点的位置和功能，RIBNeT在身体的不同部位协调两种类型的节点的操作-体内(能量)采集节点和体内治疗节点。该提案的关键智力价值在于，从根据医疗需求建立和运营小型治疗网络的角度，为RIBNeT探索了一种截然不同的能量转移和数据通信图景。基于适合体内环境的磁感应通信(MIC)技术，对整个身体的能量收集和传输进行了建模和测试。一个单一的体内节点(OBN)被增强以获得体内的能量，以实现RIBNets的持续长期操作。该项目还探讨了OBN对RIBNeT构成的挑战，并制定了应对这些挑战的方法。特别是，它设计了轻量级机制来通过内部收获和OBN来监控和协作优化能量传递，并探索了在OBN移除的情况下使操作更加稳健的方法。为了最大限度地减少能量消耗，RIBNeT最大限度地增加了节点休眠的机会，最大限度地减少了节点间协调的需要，同时仍然允许紧急传输和缓解各种传输之间的干扰。为了处理联合能量传输和通信，该项目探索了多段天线的设计和集成到天线中的基于薄膜的MEMS能量收集器。我们建造了用于集成能量传递和通信的电路板，并使用体外动物组织和人体受试者对其进行测试。总体而言，该项目有望为高度可重构的体内治疗学网络(RIBNeT)的商业开发铺平道路。该项目还将整合科学发现和发现，为学生提供跨学科的教育(计算机科学、电气工程和生物学)。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Chronic diseases are on a rapid rise throughout the world due to the growing aging population and increasing air, water, and food pollution in developing countries. Recently, emerging implantable and wearable medical devices have led to new insights in continuous monitoring and automated diagnosis for chronic diseases. To effectively manage chronic diseases through medical devices, this research project explores the design of robust and reconfigurable intrabody therapeutic networks that harvest their own energy. We henceforth call it Reconfigurable Intrabody Network for Therapeutics or RIBNeT. Since the medical needs dictate the location and functions of nodes, the RIBNeT coordinates the operation of two types of nodes in physically separate portions of the body - the intrabody (energy) harvesting nodes and the intrabody therapeutic nodes. The key intellectual merit of the proposal is in exploring a radically different landscape of energy transfer and data communication for RIBNeT from the perspective of building and operating small therapeutic networks as dictated by medical needs. Based on the magnetic induction communications (MIC) technology that works well for the intrabody environment, the energy harvesting and transfer throughout the body are modeled and tested. A single on-body node (OBN) is augmented for energy availability inside the body to enable sustained long-term operation of RIBNeTs. The project also explores the challenges posed by OBN to the RIBNeT and devise ways of addressing them. In particular, it designs lightweight mechanisms to monitor and collaboratively optimize the energy delivery via internal harvesting and OBN, and explores ways of making the operation robust in the face of OBN removals. In order to minimize energy use, RIBNeT maximizes opportunities for the nodes to sleep and minimizes need for inter-node coordination, while still allowing for emergency transmissions and mitigation of interference between various transmissions. In order to handle combined energy transfer and communications, the project explores the design of multi-segment antennas and a thin film-based MEMS energy harvester integrated into antennas. We build circuit boards for integrated energy transfer and communications and test them using ex vivo animal tissue and human subjects. Overall, the project is expected to pave the way for the commercial development of highly capable reconfigurable intrabody networks for therapeutics (RIBNeT). This project will also integrate the scientific findings and discoveries in education for students across disciplines (Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Biology).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.