Wireless power delivery for wearable sensors and implants in Body Sensor Networks

• Published in: 2010 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Vol. 2010; pp. 692 - 695
• Main Authors: Fei Zhang, Hackwoth, S A, Xiaoyu Liu, Chengliu Li, Mingui Sun
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States IEEE 01.01.2010
• Subjects: Coils; Computer Communication Networks - instrumentation; Copper; Electric Power Supplies; Energy exchange; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Monitoring, Ambulatory - instrumentation; Prostheses and Implants; Receivers; Strips; Telemetry - instrumentation; Transducers; Wireless communication; Wireless sensor networks
• DOI: 10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5626201
• ISBN: 1424441234; 9781424441235
• ISSN: 1094-687X; 1557-170X

A recent study on witricity (wireless electricity) has demonstrated that wireless energy can be delivered over a moderate distance using strongly coupled magnetic resonance. The objective of this work is to apply the witricity technology to the problem of powering a wireless Body Sensor Network (wBSN). The theory of witricity is investigated using coupled mode theory. Compact witricity resonators are designed, and a working prototype of witricity powered wBSN is built and evaluated. An energy transfer efficiency of about 80% over a distance of 15 cm is achieved. Besides the high efficiency, it has been observed that a certain misalignment between the transmitter and receiver has little effect on the power transfer. Our experimental results indicate that witricity provides a powerful solution to the energy supply problem of wBSN.