The objective of this research is to develop high-rate data links (>20 Mb/s) for implanted biomedical devices that can operate in the presence of narrowband interference from an inductive power link. The approach is to employ ultra-wideband signaling with transmitted reference synchronization to realize low-power, high-rate data transfer over the short distances required by biomedical implants. A comprehensive approach to system design is employed, with substantial effort focused on the design and modeling of the antenna and channel so that their effects can be accounted for in the circuit design.
The novel ultra-wideband transceiver architectures being explored in this work will bring about an order of magnitude increase in data rates for biomedical implants, as compared to the narrowband transceivers that are currently prevalent. This research will advance the state of the art in low-power, short-range wireless communications, and is expected to prove beneficial for a range of applications beyond implantable devices.
The high-rate data links being explored in this research have the potential to be of tremendous benefit to society, by enabling biomedical devices that can improve the quality of life for individuals (e.g. visual prostheses, neural control systems for prosthetic limbs) and by enabling extensive, long term neural recordings that will further our understanding of the brain's physiology. The educational initiatives integrated with this research target every stage in the development of young engineers to solve tomorrow's technology challenges, from high school outreach initiatives, to undergraduate research involvement, to graduate course curriculum development.
