On the use of ultrasonic transmission to bypass neural injured regions

Next generation health care applications call for the use of non conventional waves for communication through human body tissues. Ultrasounds have been proposed for such application scenarios thanks to the effectiveness and safety they have shown in the last sixty years in therapy and diagnosis. In this paper we experimentally validate a comprehensive solution that captures and sends biometric signals generated inside the human body. More specifically, we focus on the application scenario in which the proposed approach can support the rehabilitation of some motor functions lost due to accidents and resulting in neural injured regions. Our prototype applies GFSK modulation and has been realized by means of an Ettus USRP N210 software radio platform. Results confirm the effectiveness of the approach and provide a feasibility assessment on the realization of a real ultrasonic intrabody area network.