On RF Telemetry for Implantable Medical Devices: A Communication Theory Perspective

Bio-engineering is one of the emerging and fast-growing fields today where medical and engineering disciplines converge. Several technologies appeared to provide an efficient treatment of diseases or human deficiencies. One of these technologies is the implantable medical devices (IMDs). These devices are supported with computing, decision-making and communication capabilities. In this paper, a survey on the RF telemetry, including the parameters that have effects on the overall system performance, such as power consumption, RF bands and security, is presented. Furthermore, this paper provides an overview of different channel models of wireless body area networks (WBANs). Then, the effects of channel behavior and challenges in channel modeling are considered. Additionally, many communications protocols which can be used to increase the data rates, including ultra-wide band techniques, infra-red transmission technique, and also body conduction techniques, are discussed.