Interscatter enables medical implant data transfer

The so-called "interscatter communication" works by converting Bluetooth signals into Wi-Fi transmissions. Using only reflections, an interscatter device such as a smart contact lens converts Bluetooth signals from a smartwatch into Wi-Fi transmissions that can be picked up by a smartphone.

The new technique is described in a paper to be presented on August 22 at the annual conference of the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Data Communication in Brazil.

"Wireless connectivity for implanted devices can transform how we manage chronic diseases," said co-author Vikram Iyer, a UW electrical engineering doctoral student. "For example, a contact lens could monitor a diabetics blood sugar level in tears and send notifications to the phone when the blood sugar level goes down."

Due to their size and location within the body, these smart contact lenses are too constrained by power demands to send data using conventional wireless transmissions to mobile devices.