Sound Technologies, Sound Bodies: Medical Implants with Ultrasonic Links

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) and the concept of integrating electronics with the human body have been intriguing curiosities in medicine for many decades-slowly finding their way into mainstream medicine for several very specific conditions but not quite making it beyond "last resort" treatments. From the reality of today's cardiac pacemakers and deep-brain stimulation devices to the dream of sensor motes roaming around one's bloodstream (as described by researchers and writers like Isaac Asimov in his adaptation of Fantastic Voyage), the marriage of electronics and the human body has provided endless fascination for both science and science fiction alike. There is an abundance of potential applications, from electroceuticals to brain computer interfaces, and with advances in closed-loop systems and recent insights on neuromodulation, these devices are projected to make a huge impact on patient care for everything from neurological conditions all the way to diabetes and arthritis. In this article, we provided an overview of current systems and focused on power delivery with ultrasonic links. We demonstrated devices and systems that can provide high stimulation powers at depth as well as bidirectional communication links, all powered with soundwaves and packaged in millimeter-sized dimensions. With further improvements in the functional capabilities of these platform technologies and with demonstrations of closed-loop operation, we may be ever closer to practical and widespread deployment of this technology for a variety of healthcare applications.

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