Implant communication - out Of the lab, into patients

In the implanted medical device market the path from initial idea to sellable part is often long and complicated, including designs and re-designs and lab and clinical testing. Stringent specifications must be met, and parts must be sourced that meet high-reliability requirements. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on integrating wireless capabilities in implanted medical devices. Wirelessly enabled implanted medical devices, for example pacemakers linked to home monitoring systems, can actively evaluate both device performance and patient response to treatments. To make a difference in patient quality-of-life, these products must be designed, manufactured and tested to meet high levels of performance and reliability, at a cost that healthcare providers can afford. This paper discusses the requirements, design, testing and ultimate manufacture of wireless modules that enables two-way communication between an implanted medical device and an external base-station.