Wireless Implants

In vivo wireless biomedical microsystems fueled by the continued scaling of electronic components and the development of new micro sensors and micropackaging technologies is rapidly changing the landscape of the electronics and medical industry. These devices can be used for a myriad of monitoring, diagnostic, therapeutic, and interventional applications that range from the well known cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators to emerging applications in visual prosthesis, brain computer interfaces (BCIs), and embedded monitoring of a variety of medical useful variables such as oxygen, glucose, pH level, pressure, and core temperature. This article presents a brief overview of design considerations for implementing wireless power and data interfaces for in vivo biomedical devices. Examples of emerging implantable and ingestible wireless biomedical devices are discussed.