# US 10,313,027 B2 · Wide band through-body ultrasonic communication system

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- Number: US 10,313,027 B2
- Document ID: US10313027B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/507,774
- Filed: 2015-09-02
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-11
- Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Inventors: Sotir Filipov Ouzounov; Neil Francis Joye; Christianus Martinus Van Heesch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10313027B2

## CPC

- H04B 11/00: Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- A61B 5/0028: {Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body}
- A61B 8/12: in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters
- A61N 1/37217: {characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile}
- A61N 1/37288: {Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient}
- B06B 1/0207: {Driving circuits (specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03)}
- B06B 1/0292: {Electrostatic transducers, e.g. electret-type}
- G10K 11/18: Methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound (G10K11/02, G10K11/36 take precedence)
- H03H 9/0004: {Impedance-matching networks (H03H9/145 takes precedence)}
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R)
- G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P)

## Abstract

A wide band through-body communication system communicates data through the body ultrasonically. A MEMS device such as a CMUT transducer is configured to transmit and/or receive ultrasonic data signals within a broad band of operating frequencies. The transducer transmits the ultrasonic data signals through the body to a similarly configured ultrasonic receiver, and/or receives ultrasonic data signals which have been conveyed through the body from a similarly configured ultrasonic transmitter for decoding and processing. In a preferred implementation a CMUT transducer is operated in a collapsed mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ultrasonic through-body communication device comprising:
a transmitter adapted to provide data for transmission 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 comprising the encoded data signal;
a CMUT transducer adapted to operate at an ultrasonic frequency band and responsive to the amplified drive signal, wherein the CMUT transducer is adapted to be acoustically coupled to a water-like body to transmit broadband ultrasonic data signals comprising the encoded data signal through the body for reception by the receiver, wherein the ultrasonic frequency band at which the broadband ultrasonic data signals are transmitted comprises frequencies between 100 kHz to 40 MHz; and
a bias circuit adapted to provide a bias voltage to collapse the CMUT transducer such that the CMUT transducer operates in a collapsed mode to wirelessly transmit the broadband ultrasonic data signals to the receiver at a data transfer rate of at least 1 Mb/sec.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 1, further comprising:
an impedance matching circuit, coupled between the transducer driver and the CMUT transducer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 1, wherein the CMUT transducer is adapted to transmit broadband ultrasonic data signals with a bandwidth greater than 100%.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic frequency band comprises frequencies between 4MHz to 8 MHz.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 1, wherein the data encoder is configured to apply a Manchester encoding to the data provided by the transmitter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 1, further comprising a battery configured to provide a voltage to at least one of the transmitter, data encoder, transducer driver, CMUT transducer, or the bias circuit, wherein the voltage is between approximately 1V and approximately 5V.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter, data encoder, transducer driver, CMUT transducer, and bias circuit are positioned at a distal portion of an intravascular imaging catheter, and wherein the data provided for transmission to the receiver comprises ultrasound imaging data.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 1, wherein the transducer driver is configured to provide the amplified drive signal at the ultrasonic frequency band.

### Claim 9

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.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 9, wherein the receiver is further configured to perform data correlation.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 9, further comprising:
an impedance matching circuit, coupled between the CMUT transducer and the amplifier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The ultrasonic through-body communication device of claim 9, wherein the receiver further comprises:
a wake-up circuit, responsive to ultrasonic signals of a desired frequency, which causes the receiver to become fully actuated to process the received broadband ultrasonic data signals.

### Claim 13

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.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The ultrasonic through-body communication transceiver of Claim 13, wherein the CMUT transducer is a transducer of an ultrasound imaging system providing ultrasonic imaging data and the first broadband ultrasonic data signals comprise the ultrasonic imaging data.