Wide band through-body ultrasonic communication system

An ultrasonic through-body communication device comprising:

• a CMUT transducer adapted to be acoustically coupled to a water-like body and to receive broadband ultrasonic data signals which have traveled through the body from a transmitter, the broadband ultrasonic data signals comprising an encoded data signal, wherein the broadband ultrasonic data signals are transmitted at a frequency band between 100 kHz up to about 40 MHz, and wherein the broadband ultrasonic data signals are received by the CMUT transducer by applying a bias voltage to collapse the CMUT transducer such that the CMUT transducer operates in a collapsed mode to wirelessly receive the broadband ultrasonic data signals from the transmitter at a data transfer rate of at least 1 Mb/sec;
• a bias circuit coupled to the CMUT transducer to provide the bias voltage;
• an amplifier, coupled to the CMUT transducer and adapted to amplify the received broadband ultrasonic data signals;
• a receiver adapted to receive the amplified broadband ultrasonic data signals and to extract the encoded data signal from the received broadband ultrasonic data signals;
• and
• a decoder adapted to decode an information data signal from the encoded data signal using a DC-free data encoding.

An ultrasonic through-body communication transceiver comprising:

• a CMUT transducer adapted to be acoustically coupled to a water-like body, wherein the CMUT transducer is further adapted to transmit first broadband ultrasonic data signals through the body and to receive second broadband ultrasonic data signals from a transmitter which have traveled through the body, wherein the CMUT transducer transmits the first broadband ultrasonic data signals a frequency band between 100 kHz up to about 40 MHz;
• a transmitter providing data to a receiver;
• a data encoder adapted to receive the data provided by the transmitter, wherein the data encoder performs a DC-free data encoding of the data into an encoded data signal;
• a transducer driver adapted to receive the encoded data signal, wherein the transducer driver is adapted to provide an amplified drive signal to the CMUT transducer;
• a bias circuit coupled to the CMUT transducer to provide a bias voltage to collapse the CMUT transducer to operate in a collapsed mode to wirelessly transmit the first broadband ultrasonic data signals at a data transfer rate of at least 1 Mb/sec;
• an amplifier, coupled to the CMUT transducer, which amplifies the received second broadband ultrasonic data signals;
• a receiver adapted to receive the amplified second broadband ultrasonic data signals and to extract the encoded data signal from the received second broadband ultrasonic data signals;
• and
• a decoder adapted to decode information data signals from the encoded data signal using the DC-free data encoding.