Originally Published EMDM
October 2004
Industry News
Semiconductor Firm Collaborates on Implant Project |
| An in-body antenna enables wireless transmission of patient health data and implanted device performance to a remote base station. |
Is connectivity’s new frontier inside the body? That’s the focus of research at
Zarlink Semiconductor (Ottawa, ON, Canada). The firm is exploring antenna designs and ultra-low-power communications systems for use in body area networks (BANs). The research is part of the EU Healthy Aims Framework VI project.
BANs enable wireless communication from implanted devices to a base station as far as 3 m away, allowing healthcare professionals to gather device performance and patient data. Zarlink was selected as a project partner because of its expertise in ultra-low-power and wireless product design. The firm reports that it received a significant cash grant to devote R&D resources to the development of these technologies for devices such as hearing aids and muscle stimulators.
Transmitting signals from an implanted device to an external receiver poses unique design issues, according to the firm. For example, different body tissues resist electrical signals to varying degrees. In addition to being extremely small, in-dwelling antennas therefore must be highly efficient to minimize signal loss. Power consumption is another concern.
“The rapidly growing area of in-body electronics requires power-conserving designs,” says Martin McHugh, business development manager at Zarlink. This technology is crucial to extend product life and support increased functionality, he explains.
Work related to the Healthy Aims project is under way at the firm’s UK plant in Caldicot, Wales. It has recruited four new engineers with radio-frequency and system architecture expertise to work on the project. It has also invested in software for modelling antenna field effects.
Launched in December 2003, Healthy Aims is a four-year project to develop a range of medical implants and ambulatory measurement systems as well as enabling microsystems. In addition to systems for hearing aids and muscle stimulators, the project’s development goals include retinal implants, glaucoma sensors, and intracranial pressure sensors. Microelectrodes, packaging and assembly techniques, biomaterials, and other enabling technologies are also part of the mandate.
It is estimated that about 50% of the Western population will suffer from at least one of the health problems that these implants seek to address. The devices are intended to improve the quality of life for an aging population. According to some experts, they may also lead to lower healthcare costs compared with existing methods of treatment.
For more information about Zarlink Semiconductor and its participation in the Healthy Aims programme, contact the firm’s EU headquarters at Cheney Manor, Swindon, Wilts SN2 2QW, UK; phone: +44 1793 518000; fax: +44 1793 518411; Internet:
www.zarlink.com.
Copyright ©2004 European Medical Device Manufacturer
