Mbps Experimental Acoustic Through-Tissue Communications: MEAT-COMMS

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of high-speed ultrasonic data transmission through biological tissue, achieving 20-30 Mbps, enabling real-time video communication for medical implants.

Contribution

It presents experimental results of digital acoustic communication through tissue at unprecedented data rates, advancing biomedical ultrasonic communication technology.

Findings

Achieved 20-30 Mbps data rates through pork tissue and beef liver.

Demonstrated potential for real-time video transmission in biomedical applications.

Extended ultrasonic communication capabilities to tissue environments.

Abstract

Methods for digital, phase-coherent acoustic communication date to at least the work of Stojanjovic, et al [20], and the added robustness afforded by improved phase tracking and compensation of Johnson, et al [21]. This work explores the use of such methods for communications through tissue for potential biomedical applications, using the tremendous bandwidth available in commercial medical ultrasound transducers. While long-range ocean acoustic experiments have been at rates of under 100kbps, typically on the order of 1- 10kbps, data rates in excess of 120Mb/s have been achieved over cm-scale distances in ultrasonic testbeds [19]. This paper describes experimental transmission of digital communication signals through samples of real pork tissue and beef liver, achieving data rates of 20-30Mbps, demonstrating the possibility of real-time video-rate data transmission through tissue for inbody ultrasonic communications with implanted medical devices.