Transcutaneous Wireless Power & Data Transfer for Medical Applications

The Center for Artificial Muscle (CAM) is in the process of designing a new type of Vascular Assist Device (VAD) that uses the mechanical and electrical properties of Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs). The main challenges with these actuators are that they require very high voltages to operate (in the order of the kV) and that they will be implemented inside the body. A solution amongst various possibilities to power them is to transfer energy by induction through the skin and to generate the high voltage directly on the secondary coil (inside the body). However, power and data also need to be sent to a microcontroller inside which works at a significantly lower voltage (in the order of the V).