Biomedical Applications of Wireless Integrated Microsystems

Sarah A. Audet, Ph.D.,
Director, Sensor Discovery Engineering,
Medtronic, Inc.,
7000 Central Ave NE, MS CW212,
Minneapolis, MN 55432,
Tel: (763) 514-4591,
E-mail: [email protected]

Microsystems for medical applications typically integrate (1) biomedical microsensors with or without microfluidics for biological parametric data detection and energy conversion into electrical energy, (2) microelectronics and/or micro-optics for electrical data amplification, modification, and/or storage, and (3) micro-actuators for the conversion of electrical energy into another form, such as radiant energy for data display, mechanical energy for initiating an action, or electromagnetic energy to transmit data wirelessly.

Convergence of sensor, bio-and nano microsystem technologies, wireless power and telemetric communication technologies, and internet technologies are providing smaller, more accurate, closed-loop rapid response systems that are capable of chronic disease diagnostics, monitoring, and therapy.

There are a number of microsystems that are commercially available for in-vitro and in-vivo diagnostic and monitoring, and therapeutic medical applications. Many more examples of microsystems for medical applications are still in the R & D stages.

Wireless transmission of microsystem data to a reliable network that manages the data permits trend analysis of patients' chronic diseases, increasing the quality of health care while decreasing the costs. The primary constraints in microsystem development lie in reliable microsystem packaging and manufacturing, while constraints in the health provider system lie in reimbursement strategies that depend upon demonstration of improvement in medical outcomes and clear improvements in patient quality of life.

Sarah is the Director of Sensor Discovery Engineering in CRM.

Sarah was born in Syracuse, NY, received a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York in the area of Medical Technology in 1982. After working two years at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Sarah returned to graduate school and received her Master's of Science Degree from Boston University in 1986, and her PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Delft, the Netherlands in 1990.

Sarah has worked in the area of sensor design, development, and manufacture since 1990 at several companies including AT&T Bell Laboratories, Princeton Gamma-Tech, Motorola, and Medtronic.

In addition to her direct responsibilities, Sarah is involved with mentoring high school students, mentoring women within Medtronic, and volunteering to assist with external programs involved with educating students in the area of science at centers such as the University of St. Thomas and the Bakken Museum

Sarah has been married for 19 years, and she and her husband have two teen-age children.