Video streaming using ultrasound as a communication channel: towards a standalone device

A future clinical goal of capsule endoscopy is to transmit high definition (HD) video in real time from inside the human body to an external device. Current electromagnetic wave approaches do not provide enough data rates to achieve video streaming let alone at HD. In a previous study, we verified highspeed communication through tissue using ultrasound with data rates up to 30 Mbps [1]. The system used single-element focused transducers operating at 5 MHz using a Tabor WW1281 arbitrary waveform generator and power amplifier. To move towards a capsule endoscopy system, a smaller hardware footprint is required. We designed an OFDM modulation scheme, which was compatible with an in-tissue ultrasound communication channel and verified the scheme with 2-mm sonomicrocrystal as the transmit transducer and IP103 linear array as receive transducer. A 3 Mbps data rate was achieved with this setup. Furthermore, we implemented the transmitter with an FPGA to achieve real-time video streaming through tissue.