Internet-Linked Ultrasonic Network for Medical Devices
AssigneeNortheastern University
InventorsTommaso MELODIA, Giuseppe Enrico SANTAGATI
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Abstract
A system and method is provided for transmitting signals ultrasonically among a network of implantable and wearable biological devices. The devices includes one or more implantable nodes, which include a sensing and/or actuating unit, at least one gateway node, and at least one access point node. Ultrasonic signals can be transmitted through the body by the implantable nodes to and from the gateway node, for transmission to and from the access point node. The access point node can be connected to the Internet. In this manner, remote instructions can be transmitted to the implantable nodes and data obtained at the implantable nodes can be transmitted to remote sites.
Claims45
A system for transmitting signals ultrasonically among a network of implantable and wearable biological devices, comprising:
- an implantable node, implantable in a body, comprising a sensing unit or an actuating unit, an ultrasonic communication interface operative to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals through biological tissue, and a core unit in communication with the communication interface and with the sensing unit or actuating unit;
- a gateway node wearable on the body, comprising an ultrasonic communication interface operative to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals through biological tissue and to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals through air, and a core unit in communication with the communication interface;
- and
- an access point node, including an ultrasonic communication interface operative to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals transmitted through air from at least the gateway node.
A system for transmitting signals ultrasonically through biological tissue comprising:
- a network comprising a plurality of nodes, at least a first portion of the nodes implantable within a body, and at least a second portion of the nodes wearable on the body, each of the nodes operable to sense a biological parameter via a sensing unit or to actuate a biological procedure via an actuating unit;
- and
- at least one of the implantable nodes or at least one of the wearable nodes comprising a configurable node, the configurable node comprising:
- a sensing/actuating interface for a sensing unit or an actuating unit,
- an ultrasonic communication interface operative to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals transmitted through biological tissue, and
- a core unit in communication with the sensing unit and the ultrasonic communication interface, the core unit comprising a processor and memory operative to receive instructions to configure the configurable node for a sensing unit or actuating unit connected at the sensing/actuating interface.
A method for transmitting signals ultrasonically among a network of implantable and wearable biological devices, comprising:
- providing at least one implantable node, implanted in a body, a gateway node wearable on the body, and an access point node in air, each of the nodes comprising an ultrasonic communication interface operative to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals through biological tissue or in air, at least the implantable node further including a sensing unit or an actuating unit;
- and
- transmitting ultrasonic signals between the implantable node and the gateway node or between the implantable node and the access point node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.