On the Anatomy of a Modern Biotelemetry System: A Cell phone Paradigm

Abstract

Totally implantable biotelemetry systems are becoming very useful tools in both academic and pharmaceutical research laboratories. In the past 30 years, implantable biotelemetry systems have made possible a number of studies that required the use remote measurements of parameters such as ECG, blood pressure and temperature. Current and future medical research measurements, however, demand more advanced features and functions from the biotelemetry systems currently available. In the past, biotelemetry implants were very much like the cell phones of that era. Inflexible, unchangeable, preset, analog. Our recently introduced EndoGear modern biotelemetry system, is a powerful, flexible, user configurable, programmable and digital, much like the smartphones of today. The advantages of our biotelemetry implants are the harnessing of demanding applications by incorporating new and advanced sensors, such as blood flow sensors, solid‐state pressure sensors, and modern RF communication protocols. Users can attach and control a variety of add‐on modules that can perform new functions without the need for a completely new implant; i.e., run a new application (app). Commands and data using digital RF communication protocols minimize signal noise and improve signal accuracy. In general, the advancement of modern biotelemetry systems was a direct result of the advancement of modern smartphone technologies. The drive to produce smaller, more advanced electronic parts and more powerful smartphones helped the development of smaller, more advanced and more powerful biotelemetry systems that have the capacity and new capabilities to assist medical researchers to exciting new discoveries.