Body Area Networks: Enabling the Next Generation of Connected Implants
Coordinating multiple implanted and wearable medical devices in real time demands a communication layer that is simultaneously high-bandwidth, ultra-low latency, secure, and fully implantable. Current solutions fall short: wired leads suffer from mechanical failure and limit therapy to a single site, while RF telemetry and Bluetooth lack the bandwidth for real-time multi-node synchronization and require external bridges that prevent full implantation.
Probingon addresses this fundamental gap with FAT-IBC (Fat-tissue Intra-Body Communication) — a technology that exploits the natural waveguiding properties of subcutaneous fat tissue at 2.4 GHz to create a high-speed, secure, cable-free communication channel between implanted and body-worn devices. Originating from a decade of research at Uppsala University's Microwave in Medical Engineering Group, FAT-IBC enables synchronized, multi-node architectures across distributed implanted and wearable devices — forming the physical communication backbone for next-generation body area networks.
Validated Performance:
- 92 Mb/s sustained throughput, peer-reviewed and published in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (IEEE TBME 2024)
- Sub-10ms latency enabling real-time closed-loop therapy
- 60 dB signal attenuation at 10 cm outside the body, providing inherent communication security
- TRL-6 demonstrated within the EU H2020 B-CRATOS FET Pathfinder program, independently validated by an EU expert panel confirming the physics-based advantage
Intellectual Property:
The core physics of FAT-IBC — fat tissue as a wireless waveguide — is protected by a granted international patent, with additional patent applications in preparation covering wireless pain management and closed-loop organ control.
FAT-IBC represents a platform technology: validated first in neuromodulation, with architecture that extends naturally into cardiac, BCI, and pelvic health applications wherever coordinated, cable-free communication between implanted devices is required.