Sound Technologies, Sound Bodies: Medical Implants with Ultrasonic Links

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) and the concept of integrating electronics with the human body have been intriguing curiosities in medicine for many decades-slowly finding their way into mainstream medicine for several very specific conditions but not quite making it beyond "last resort" treatments. From the reality of today's cardiac pacemakers and deep-brain stimulation devices to the dream of sensor motes roaming around one's bloodstream (as described by researchers and writers like Isaac Asimov in his adaptation of Fantastic Voyage), the marriage of electronics and the human body has provided endless fascination for both science and science fiction alike. There is an abundance of potential applications, from electroceuticals to brain computer interfaces, and with advances in closed-loop systems and recent insights on neuromodulation, these devices are projected to make a huge impact on patient care for everything from neurological conditions all the way to diabetes and arthritis.