Zarlink Simplifies Design of Wirelessly Enabled Implanted Medical Devices and Monitoring Equipment

Customers are designing our wireless radio technology into approved applications, including pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators, and a widening range of new devices such as cardiac monitors and neuromodulation systems, said Steve Swift, senior vice president and general manager of Zarlink's Medical Products Group. Our new application development kit offers customers a complete hardware and software solution to speed the development of ultra low-power, highly reliable and standards compliant medical communication systems built on Zarlink's proven medical wireless expertise.

The ZLE70102 ADK supports full speed data test, link statistics and power monitoring of end-to-end medical communications telemetry systems enabled by the ZL70102 (Medical Implant Communication Service) radio platform. The application development kit allows customers to evaluate wireless performance in a range of environments and adjust algorithms to reduce overall power consumption.

Designed into wirelessly enabled pacemakers, Zarlink's radio chip routinely transmits patient health and device performance data to a home base station. Data is then forwarded to a physician's office. During surgery to implant medical devices, the extended wireless operating range of the ZL70102 MICS radio solution allows programming equipment to be located outside the sterile operating field.

The ZL70102 MICS radio delivers advanced performance to help conserve battery life for wirelessly enabled implanted medical devices. In full operation, the ZL70102 radio chip consumes just 5 mA (milliamps) of supply current. Over a typical seven year operating life of an implanted medical device, the ZL70102 device will consume the same amount of energy required to power a 40-watt light bulb for just 10 seconds.