Abstract:
This article demonstrates, for the first time, a zero-power ultrasonic wakeup receiver for intra-body communication with Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs). The system is...Show MoreMetadata
Abstract:
This article demonstrates, for the first time, a zero-power ultrasonic wakeup receiver for intra-body communication with Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs). The system is based on a {10} \times {10} Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (pMUT) array, a zero-power 500 nm gap MEMS plasmonic switch, a low-leakage CMOS load-switch, and an ad hoc sensing circuit. An ultrasonic signal of 10 mVpp is received by the pMUT array at a distance of 5 cm and brings the MEMS switch from the OFF-state (1 pA) to the ON-state ( 20~{\mu } \text{A} ) when biased at 9.09~{V}_{\text {DC}} . This small current then wakes up the load-switch (< 10 nW when off), which powers up the sensing circuit to decode the pMUT signal. The system is demonstrated in a tissue phantom, making it ideal for intrabody communication.
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices ( Volume: 69, Issue: 3, March 2022)