Communications of the ACM
Wirelessly Charged Microchip Opens Doors Into 'electroceutical' Devices
A new technique for wirelessly charging tiny devices implanted in the human body holds the potential for "electroceutical" capabilities.
Credit: Austin Yee
A Stanford University project to examine the behavior of electromagnetic fields in biological tissues uncovered a technique for wirelessly charging tiny devices implanted in the human body to treat illness and alleviate pain, according to Stanford student John Ho.
An almost two-year experimental period has yielded a workable electromagnetic structure through a combination of near-field and far-field waves, resulting in what Stanford professor Ada Poon terms mid-field wireless transfer. A power source Poon designed generates a specific wave that can shift its characteristics when moving from air to skin, and she successfully tested the technique by transmitting power directly to implanted medical devices. Ho says the device has no battery, and is powered instead by a flat metal plate positioned outside the body.
Poon's new device is significant for its potential "electroceutical" capabilities, which could radically change drug administration within the body, as well as pain relief. "We envision that the powering method could pave the way for new generations of sensors and stimulators that can electrically treat some disorders in ways more effective than drugs," Poon says.
Poon and Ho believe removal of the need for bulky batteries means implantable devices can be reduced even further in size.
From Wireless Design & Development
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