Wireless LC sensor reader

A method for operating a sensor reader to identify one or more resonant frequencies of an LC sensor implanted within a human body, the method comprising:

• energizing one or more capacitors under the control of a pulser;
• setting a T/R switch to a transmission mode;
• generating a spike-shaped, low-energy, high-amplitude radio frequency pulse using the one or more capacitors;
• transmitting the spike-shape, low-energy, high-amplitude radio frequency pulse to an LC sensor through an antenna;
• receiving, using the antenna, a ring-down signal sent from the LC sensor in response to the spike-shaped, low-energy, high-amplitude radio frequency pulse;
• setting the T/R switch to a receiving mode;
• and
• processing the ring-down signal to identify one or more resonant frequencies of the LC sensor.

A wireless sensor reader for an implanted sensor, comprising:

• an antenna configured to transmit an excitation energy pulse to excite a wireless sensor and to receive a ring-down signal sent from the sensor in response to the excitation energy pulse;
• a pulser configured to generate the excitation energy pulse using a capacitor discharging technique;
• a receiver configured to receive the ring-down signal from the antenna and to amplify the ring-down signal;
• a T/R switch configured to automatically transition between a transmission mode, in which the pulser is electrically connected to the antenna and the receiver is shielded from the pulser, and a receiving mode, in which the receiver is electrically connected to the antenna and the pulser is shielded from the receiver;
• and
• a processing unit including a processor, the processing unit being configured to receive the ring-down signal, digitally filter out noise from the ring-down signal, and to compute a resonant frequency of the wireless sensor.