A network of wearables and implants are able to connect using the body’s natural conductivity to send signals, according to a study.
The human body does not easily allow traditional wireless signals such as Bluetooth or NFC to pass through. This has limited how much implantable sensors and actuators are able to communicate with each other as well as wearable devices.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology in the US have removed these limitations by using body tissue’s natural ionic conductivity, enabling these devices to work together.
Each implant is programmed to respond to electrical pulses of specific voltage and length passed through the tissue from one device to another, allowing them to be selectively activated.
They also can be programmed to coordinate so data from multiple sensors on and inside the body can coordinate and trigger a potential therapeutic response elsewhere, such as releasing medicine or stimulating a nerve.
“With our system, you can now place sensors in...