Sensor Implants for Everywhere in the Body

Sensor Implants for Everywhere in the Body

IEEE Fellow Jan M.
Rabaey and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, made headlines recently by building the first wireless, dust particle–size sensors that could eventually be implanted in the human body to monitor nerves, muscles, and organs. The sensors, known as neural dust motes, have so far been implanted in rats’ muscles and peripheral nerves.
The motes rely on ultrasound projected into the body for power and to read out measurements.
Ultrasound, already widely used in hospitals, can penetrate nearly anywhere in the body.
The journal Neuron in August published an article describing the researchers’ work: “Wireless Recording in the Peripheral Nervous System With Ultrasonic Neural Dust.”

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