Low-power transceiver is a first in medical RF

The world's first transceiver chip has been designed exclusively for wireless communication systems that link implanted medical devices and basestations.

Zarlink Semiconductor has introduced the world's first transceiver chip designed exclusively for wireless communication systems that link implanted medical devices and basestations.

The ZL70100 ultra low-power transceiver chip fully meets the MICS standard defined by the FCC and ETSI.

No other commercially available chip designed for implanted communication systems matches the datarate, ultra-low-power performance and high level of integration delivered by the ZL70100 transceiver.

Zarlink's ultra-low-power RF technology allows high-speed 500Kbit/s data transmission over a typical 2m range.

In comparison, previous implanted communication systems relied on magnetic coupling between coils in an in-body device and a basestation.

This approach operated up to a 100mm range, with data transmission rates of a few tens of kilobits per second.

Advances in ultra-low-power radio expertise and global adoption of the MICS 402-405MHz frequency band for implanted communications opens the door for advanced telemedicine applications that extend patient health monitoring beyond the traditional clinical setting.

Physicians can use MICS technology to remotely monitor patient health without requiring regular hospital visits.

For example, an ultra-low-power RF transceiver in a pacemaker can wirelessly send patient health and device performance data to a bedside basestation in the home.

Data are then forwarded over the telephone or Internet to a physician's office, and if a problem is detected the patient goes to the hospital where the high-speed two-way RF link can be used to easily monitor and adjust device performance.

During surgery, a physician can use the higher datarates and longer communication range afforded by MICS technology to program the performance of an implanted device outside of the sterile surgical environment.

"Zarlink's MICS transceiver provides several orders of magnitude increase in data transmission rate and communication range compared with previous technologies, offering an ultra-low-power consumption and highly integrated radio telemetry solution", said Steve Swift, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Ultra Low-Power Communications, Zarlink Semiconductor.

"Our MICS radio platform ensures implanted medical device manufacturers can design systems that meet strict global standards".

"The higher datarate and extended communication range of our radio transceiver enables advanced in-body communication systems, such as implanted blood glucose sensors controlling insulin intake for diabetes patients, networked stimulators restoring lost limb function or pacemakers using the high-speed wireless link to signal emergency response during a cardiac event".

As most implanted medical devices do not require constant communication, and instead transmit data on a scheduled or as-required basis, the average "sleep" current is a key design factor.

The ZL70100 radio transceiver contains an innovative ultra-low-power wake-up system with an average current demand of just 200nA.

The ZL70100 supports industry-leading transmission rates of 800Kbit/s for raw data and 500Kbit/s for usable data, while consuming less than 5mA while active.

With the ability to aggressively duty-cycle the radio transceiver, the ZL70100 allows implanted devices to quickly transmit large amounts of patient health and device performance data with minimum impact on the battery life of the implanted device.

The highly integrated ZL70100 chip requires just two external components, excluding antenna matching, allowing manufacturers to use circuit substrate space savings to increase battery size and support advanced functionality while also lowering BoM costs.

The industrial-grade ZL70100 transceiver chip for basestations is the first device in a product platform designed specifically to meet the performance, power and size requirements of implanted communication systems.

Qualification of the same transceiver chip for implantable applications is currently underway, and this device will be available later this year.

The ZL70100 transceiver chip is available now in a 48-pin QFN (quad flat no-lead) package and as bare die.

The device is fully supported by an evaluation board and reference design.

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