Recent advances in biomedical telemetry

Communication systems for implantable medical devices are rapidly advancing. Cardiac, optical, neurological and auditory devices all utilize this technology. Miniaturized antennas and inductive coupling systems provide the radio interface between air and the implantable device. Miniaturized electronics that can be seamlessly integrated with the medical device provide electrical and communication interfaces. Power transfer ("link budget") and deposition (SAR) issues continue to be explored and better understood. This paper describes recent advances in each of these system components. The challenges of miniature biocompatible packaging, patient variability, and utilization of new materials will be discussed.