Georgia Tech researchers developed SWANS (Smart Wireless Autonomous Networking System), a network enabling medical implants to communicate through body tissue instead of radio waves, addressing key limitations of Bluetooth and NFC like high power consumption, signal attenuation beyond one centimeter, and size constraints. Inspired by the nervous system, the approach could allow thin, syringe-injectable implants to coordinate data without draining batteries or requiring surgery.
Background
Most current medical implants like pacemakers and insulin pumps operate in isolation due to challenges with in-body wireless communication. Previous attempts at implant-to-implant networking relied on radio protocols that are inefficient and limited inside the human body.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 1, 2026 at 05:06 AM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10