A Method and Analysis to Enable Efficient Piezoelectric Transducer-Based Ultrasonic Power and Data Links for Miniaturized Implantable Medical Devices

Acoustic links for implantable medical devices (implants) have gained attention primarily because they provide a route to wireless deep-tissue systems. The miniaturization of the implants is a key research goal in these efforts, nominally because smaller implants result in less acute tissue damage. Implant size in most acoustic systems is limited by the piezoelectric bulk crystal used for power harvesting and data communication. Further miniaturization of the piezocrystal can degrade system power transfer efficiency and data transfer reliability. Here, we present a new method for packaging the implant piezocrystal; the method maximizes power transfer efficiency (eta) from the acoustic power at the piezo surface to the power delivered to the electrical load and information transfer across the acoustic link. Our method relies on placing piezo-to-substrate anchors to the piezo regions where the vibrational displacement of the mode of interest is zero. To evaluate our method, we investigated packaged 1 x 1 x 1 mm(3) piezocrystals assembled with different sized anchors. Our results show that reducing the anchor size decreases anchor loss and thus improves piezo quality factor (Q). We also demonstrate that this method improves system electromechanical coupling. A strongly coupled, high-Q piezo with properly sized and located anchors is demonstrated to achieve significantly higher eta and superior data transfer capability at resonance. Overall, this work provides an analysis and generic method for packaging the implant piezocrystal that enables the design of efficient acoustic power and data links, which provides a path toward the further miniaturization of ultrasonic implants to submillimeter scales.

Automated summary

This study presents a new method for packaging implantable piezocrystals, which maximizes power transfer efficiency and data transfer reliability in acoustic links for wireless deep-tissue systems. By reducing anchor size and optimizing placement, the method improves piezo quality factor and system electromechanical coupling, leading to higher efficiency and superior data transfer capability.