An RF-Ultrasound Relay for Adaptive Wireless Powering Across Tissue Interfaces.

Single modality wireless power transfer has limited depth for mm-sized implants across air / tissue or skull / tissue interfaces because they either suffer from high loss in tissue (RF, Optical) or high reflection at the medium interface (Ultrasound (US)). This paper proposes an RF-US relay chip at the media interface avoiding the reflection at the boundary, and enabling efficient wireless powering to mm-sized deep implants across multiple media. The relay chip rectifies the incoming RF power through an 85.

Chip-Scale Coils for Millimeter-Sized Bio-Implants.

Next generation implantable neural interfaces are targeting devices with mm-scale form factors that are freely floating and completely wireless. Scalability to more recording (or stimulation) channels will be achieved through distributing multiple devices, instead of the current approach that uses a single centralized implant wired to individual electrodes or arrays. In this way, challenges associated with tethers, micromotion, and reliability of wiring is mitigated.

Feasibility Study on Active Back Telemetry and Power Transmission Through an Inductive Link for Millimeter-Sized Biomedical Implants.

This paper presents a feasibility study of wireless power and data transmission through an inductive link to a 1-mm implant, to be used as a free-floating neural probe, distributed across a brain area of interest. The proposed structure utilizes a four-coil inductive link for back telemetry, shared with a three-coil link for wireless power transmission. We propose a design procedure for geometrical optimization of the inductive link in terms of power transmission efficiency (PTE) considering specific absorption rate and data rate.

All-soft, battery-free, and wireless chemical sensing platform based on liquid metal for liquid- and gas-phase VOC detection.

Lightweight, flexible, stretchable, and wireless sensing platforms have gained significant attention for personal healthcare and environmental monitoring applications. This paper introduces an all-soft (flexible and stretchable), battery-free, and wireless chemical microsystem using gallium-based liquid metal (eutectic gallium-indium alloy, EGaIn) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), fabricated using an advanced liquid metal thin-line patterning technique based on soft lithography. Considering its flexible, stretchable, and lightweight characteristics, the proposed sensing platform is well suited for wearable sensing applications either on the skin or on clothing.

Robust Wireless Power Transmission to mm-Sized Free-Floating Distributed Implants.

This paper presents an inductive link for wireless power transmission (WPT) to mm-sized free-floating implants (FFIs) distributed in a large three-dimensional space in the neural tissue that is insensitive to the exact location of the receiver (Rx). The proposed structure utilizes a high-Q resonator on the target wirelessly powered plane that encompasses randomly positioned multiple FFIs, all powered by a large external transmitter (Tx). Based on resonant WPT fundamentals, we have devised a detailed method for optimization of the FFIs and explored design strategies and safety concerns, such as coil segmentation and specific absorption rate limits using realistic finite element simulation models in HFSS including head tissue layers, respectively.

Toward a distributed free-floating wireless implantable neural recording system.

To understand the complex correlations between neural networks across different regions in the brain and their functions at high spatiotemporal resolution, a tool is needed for obtaining long-term single unit activity (SUA) across the entire brain area. The concept and preliminary design of a distributed free-floating wireless implantable neural recording (FF-WINeR) system are presented, which can enabling SUA acquisition by dispersedly implanting tens to hundreds of untethered 1 mm3 neural recording probes, floating with the brain and operating wirelessly across the cortical surface. For powering FF-WINeR probes, a 3-coil link with an intermediate high-Q resonator provides a minimum S21 of -22.

Fabrication and Microassembly of a mm-Sized Floating Probe for a Distributed Wireless Neural Interface.

A new class of wireless neural interfaces is under development in the form of tens to hundreds of mm-sized untethered implants, distributed across the target brain region(s). Unlike traditional interfaces that are tethered to a centralized control unit and suffer from micromotions that may damage the surrounding neural tissue, the new free-floating wireless implantable neural recording (FF-WINeR) probes will be stand-alone, directly communicating with an external interrogator. Towards development of the FF-WINeR, in this paper we describe the micromachining, microassembly, and hermetic packaging of 1-mm³ passive probes, each of which consists of a thinned micromachined silicon die with a centered Ø(diameter) 130 μm through-hole, an Ø81 μm sharpened tungsten electrode, a 7-turn gold wire-wound coil wrapped around the die, two 0201 surface mount capacitors on the die, and parylene-C/Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating.

A Multi-Cycle Q-Modulation for Dynamic Optimization of Inductive Links.

This paper presents a new method, called multi-cycle Q-modulation, which can be used in wireless power transmission (WPT) to modulate the quality factor (Q) of the receiver (Rx) coil and dynamically optimize the load impedance to maximize the power transfer efficiency (PTE) in two-coil links. A key advantage of the proposed method is that it can be easily implemented using off-the-shelf components without requiring fast switching at or above the carrier frequency, which is more suitable for integrated circuit design. Moreover, the proposed technique does not need any sophisticated synchronization between the power carrier and Q-modulation switching pulses.

A Q-Modulation Technique for Efficient Inductive Power Transmission.

A fully-integrated power management ASIC for efficient inductive power transmission has been presented capable of automatic load transformation using a method, called Q-modulation. Q-modulation is an adaptive scheme that offers load matching against a wide range of loading ( ) and coupling distance ( ) variations in inductive links to maintain high power transfer efficiency (PTE). It is suitable for inductive powering implantable microelectronic devices (IMDs), recharging mobile electronics, and electric vehicles.