Wireless Powering of Medical Devices and Antennas

Biomedical implants are important electrical devices for health monitoring, treatment of disease, and prosthetics. Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) systems enable physicians and patients to avoid repeated surgeries to replace/recharge the power supply of these implants and remove the need for bulky implantable batteries for power. In addition, WPT allows for wireless data transfer and device programming, thus making biomedical implants more practical. Therefore, optimal design of WPT systems is crucial for the reliable and safe operation of implantable devices and therefore the health of patients.

In particular, WPT systems must comply with electromagnetic safety standards, maintain biocompatibility, and meet the necessary longevity requirements for the intended life of the implantable device.  Furthermore, the size of the WPT system is a critical design element, as the available area is often limited, and larger implants increase the risk of tissue inflammation, cell damage, and discomfort to the patient. Toward these ends, here at ITEMS, we are developing WPT systems for biomedical implants that are optimized to reduce the overall footprint of the device implanted in the body, while minimizing ohmic losses in the receiver coil and maintaining high efficiency and power delivery.