Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2021 - 24a

SIMULATION-BASED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
MicroPort CRM, France
INVESTIGATING INTRABOD
COMMUNICA COMMUNICATION FOR
LEADLESS LEADLESS CARDIAC CARDIAC
PACEMAKERSACEMAKERS
by DIXITA PATEL
Recent advancements for pacemaker
technology now include improved
electronics and smaller batteries, making
the development of leadless cardiac
pacemakers (LCPs) possible. An LCP is a
self-contained (capsule-like) generator
and electrode system that eliminates
the need for pocket or transvenous
leads that often cause malfunctions.
The current LCPs on the market pace at
a single location of the heart, but for
patients who require more than singlechamber
stimulation, a multinode LCP
system (Figure 1) can be used. Multinode
LCP systems require synchronization
between all of the implanted devices to
function properly. However, the standard
communication techniques used may be
unsuitable due to constraints in terms of
power consumption and size.
To help make the system and
communication more efficient, researchers
at MicroPort CRM are using simulation to
investigate these design challenges using
galvanic intrabody communication (IBC).
IBC provides a power-optimized solution
to facilitate communication between
devices, which in turn helps to synchronize
multinode LCP systems.
24a COMSOL NEWS
» INTRABODY COMMUNICATION
TRANSCEIVERS FOR
LCP APPLICATIONS
Intrabody communication (IBC) is a nearfield
communication method that uses an
electrode pair to send an impulse through
body tissue to a second electrode pair that
receives the signal. This method works
with ultralow power, and no additional
antennas are needed because the
electrodes used for pacing also provide the
electric field for the communication.
Mirko Maldari, an electronic engineer at
MicroPort CRM, and his team proposed a
new methodology to further characterize
these types of communication channels.
" With IBC, because electrodes are used
to communicate [instead of coils and
antennas], we can optimize both power
consumption and size, " said Maldari.
In their research, an in vivo study was
performed using a system that consisted
of two capsules that were implanted in
the right atrium and right ventricle of a
heart (shown in Figure 1). Further analyses
involved the COMSOL Multiphysics®
software to measure the attenuation
of the channel and estimate how much
power is dissipated in the tissue.
TION FOR
Leadless cardiac pacemakers (LCPs)
have become cutting-edge technology
for cardiac rhythm management. At
MicroPort CRM, numerical simulation is
being used to optimize the communication
between multinode LCP systems.
» ANALYZING IBC PATHLOSS
WITH SIMULATION
The team at MicroPort collaborated
with Synopsys Inc., an electronic design
automation company, using the Synopsys
Simpleware™ software to develop a model
of a human torso that would be importable
into the COMSOL Multiphysics®
software
(Figure 3). The model is based on a validated
human phantom from IT'IS Foundation
Zurich; more specifically, the " Duke " model,
which represents a 34-year-old male.
The geometrical model was created
to include organs, muscles, bones,
soft tissue, and cartilage. After
importing into COMSOL Multiphysics,
an approximated version of the heart
chambers was built to distinguish heart
muscle from blood. Maldari said: " It was
important for my application for these
features to be included because they
have different electrical properties. " The
team then designed two identical LCP
capsules to estimate the attenuation
levels of the intracardiac channel.
The capsules were studied at two
different orientations, both at a channel
distance of 9 cm. Simulations were
performed with a quasistatic approach to
Synopsys and Simpleware are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
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INVESTIGATING INTRABODY
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2021

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