Spread-Spectrum Wireless Power Transfer for Implantable and Wearable Biomedical Applications

Wireless health and fitness devices as well as traditional medical devices such as cardiac and neurological implants, skin patch sensors, and automatic drug delivery pumps extend and improve life by providing therapy, monitoring, and diagnostics. They ensure health and safety while promoting prevention and wellness. These devices are found in chronic and acute settings that range from emergency and critical care to personalized health and telemedicine; they accelerate medical research and support data-driven medicine. The push towards the ubiquity of ever smaller devices with more functionality compels power-centric strategies in every aspect of design. In this presentation, I will introduce new methods and architectures in power and energy distribution and will demonstrate new circuits and design methods from my research in spread-spectrum wireless power delivery.
Al Avestruz received the SB in Physics and the SM and EE degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is about to complete his PhD at the Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems.

Through several summers with Medtronic Corporation, he researched methods and circuits to measure neural field potentials. Al also co-founded Convergence Medical Devices, Inc. to develop and commercialize electrical impedance myography for the measurement neuromuscular disease progression. He worked for several companies including Teradyne Corporation, Thornton, Inc. (presently a division of Mettler Toledo), Diversified Technologies, and Talking Lights, LLC before returning to MIT for graduate school, where he has authored over 29 peer-reviewed papers and has had 5 patents issued with two pending.

His research interests include circuits and systems for power conversion and distribution, sensing, and information processing in biomedical and other systems.