Technology
AntennaWare creates multi-mode antenna for unimpeded communication with body-implanted devices
Belfast-based AntennaWare, the company that designs antennas for wearables, has developed a multi-mode antenna that can communicate from the surface to devices inside the human body unimpeded, and for which it also just won a European patent. Typically, implanted devices such
as pacemakers or neural implants can communicate with the ‘outside’ world by having external RF readers held directly over the implant area, with wireless data transfer taking place at intervals set by the user. Not only does this limit the number of readings, but is also limited because of reader power consumption and implanted device battery life. AntennaWare’s technology also solves
body-blocking problems normally associated with close-range RF designs, and from a single antenna element enables seamless, reliable and
continuous communication with implanted devices. “Until recently, cardiac pacemakers and
cardioverter-defibrillators were the main implantable communciations devices, but now there are new and exciting innovations in this space, most of which require deep tissue communication. Te reliability of the AntennaWare multi-mode antenna in these difficult environments makes it perfect for use in this area,” said Dr Matthew Magill, AntennaWare CTO. And as AntennaWare Commercial Director
Jonny McClintock explains, the use case for this patented technology isn’t limited to implantable devices alone: “AntennaWare multi-mode antenna
technology has broader applications – it can also be used in industrial applications to
Body implants with antennas can now seamlessly communicate with medical readers
relay information from sensors embedded deep inside structures to the outside world. Tere are many applications for unobstructed wireless communications that weren’t possible until now.”
Scientists build industry-ready, high-speed ICs with 2D materials for artificial intelligence applications
Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Tuwal, Saudi Arabia, have successfully built high-speed, low-energy-consumption microchips with two-dimensional materials, that also exhibit excellent integration density, performance and yield. Two-dimensional materials are expected to
revolutionise the semiconductors industry: they are atomically-layered materials with highly-suitable electrical, thermal and optical properties for many microelectronic applications and seen as a strong candidate for flexible electronics. Until now their commercial readiness was low, because most have relied on synthesis and processing methods incompatible with industrial high- volume production methods, with large devices made on unfunctional substrates, with poor variability and yield. Te KAUST team used a two-dimensional
insulating material called multilayer hexagonal boron nitride, with a thickness of 6nm, and applied it to industry-standard CMOS technology. Te resulting hybrid devices exhibit high durability and electronic
04 May 2023
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
leading semiconductor companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) and Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML) and could help other companies reduce processing costs and energy use. Most companies in the field of IC
KAUST successfully integrates 2D materials on a CMOS chip
properties that enable the fabrication of artificial neural networks with very low power consumption. Tey can successfully compute spiking neural networks – very brief electrical stresses – a key requirement for current artificial intelligence systems that are increasing in demand. Most current devices are not suitable for implementing this type of neural network, and there is a market need to find new approaches. Te research has attracted the interest of
manufacturing and artificial intelligence are aiming to create new hardware that reduces data processing time and energy consumption but have not yet found a suitable technology. IBM attempted to integrate graphene into transistors for RF applications, but those devices were not able to store or process information. Te devices created by Professor Mario Lanza’s KAUST team measure only 260nm and could be made much smaller if more advanced microchips are required. Te King Abdullah University of Science
and Technology was established in 2009, dedicated to finding solutions for some of the world’s most pressing scientific and technological challenges, including in the food and health sectors, water, energy, the environment and the digital domain.
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