Transducers for Bioimplantable Telemetry Systems

A major unfilfilled health-care need is a means of obtaining specific data from within the body on a long-term basis. Preventable deaths and avoidable medical catastrophies frequently occur due to lack of obtainable physiological data. Suitable implantable data-collecting and transmitting systems appear to be within the technological state of the art. An urgent need exists for national standardization on one or a few compatible systems to facilitate concerted research and commercial development. One such candidate system and the requirements it imposes on transducer development is described. A related alternative system, possibly more suitable for self-use by non-hospitalized persons, is outlined.