Contents Introduction
The medical industry today is seeking new solutions for in-body and on-body devices that transfer data over a wireless channel [1], [2]. This includes pacemakers for generating electric pulses, microscale robots that operate in the bloodstream, and smart pills for identifying abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract. However, modern deep tissue systems consume a significant amount of energy by generating their own radio signals. For instance, wireless capsules for endoscopy consume up to 10 times more power than the sensors [1]. For these reasons, the large battery of the capsule consumes 40–50 percent of the total space of the capsule [2]. Reduction in the form-factor (i.e., the size, shape, and other physical specifications of electronic components) of these capsules can not only improve the likelihood of completion of endoscopy but also make them easy to swallow and excrete. Similar challenges are faced in the case of on-body sensors. The premise of on-body sensor networks is to build a network of devices capable of operating in a battery-free manner by means of smart networking, and power management at the granularity of individual bits and instructions. This is challenging to achieve through conventional networking approaches due to the need for active radio circuits, large form-factors, and their energy constrained nature. Thus, we expect that it is important to divorce healthcare from conventional wireless solutions and move toward innovative systems for seamlessly connecting in-body and on-body wireless devices.
