Project Description:
We are developing a fully integrated Galvanic Intrabody Communication (IBC) system using the SKY130 open-source PDK to enable precise synchronization among multiple Leadless Cardiac Pacemakers (LCPs). This effort addresses a pressing clinical need in multi-chamber cardiac rhythm management, where maintaining atrioventricular (AV) synchrony is crucial to reducing the risk of stroke and heart failure. Current LCPs are compact, self-contained devices with integrated sensors, current drivers, and batteries, typically implanted in the right ventricle via a transvenous catheter. However, their single-chamber operation limits their effectiveness for patients requiring coordinated multi-chamber stimulation.
To overcome this, we propose a multi-node pacing architecture powered by a low-power IBC communication network that enables real-time coordination between all implanted pacemakers and an external controller. By facilitating inter-device communication through galvanic coupling, the system enables synchronized stimulation across the heart’s chambers for improved therapeutic outcomes. Our IBC system exploits the body’s conductive tissue as a communication medium, utilizing implanted electrodes and drivers to inject modulated synchronization signals. These signals are received and processed by a front-end consisting of amplification, filtering, and demodulation stages. A local clock reference, along with a synchronization control unit, ensures that each LCP aligns its pacing behavior based on the decoded timing signal.
The system architecture includes three primary functional blocks working together to achieve robust synchronization. The transmission circuit generates and injects the synchronization signal into the body using a modulation stage and a low-impedance driver interfacing with implanted electrodes. The receiving circuit performs amplification, filtering, and demodulation to recover the synchronization data reliably, even in the presence of physiological noise. Finally, the synchronization control circuit interprets the decoded timing information and adjusts the internal clock and pacing output of each LCP accordingly. All circuits will be designed, simulated, and laid out using the SKY130 CMOS process, creating an open-source, manufacturable system-on-chip solution for next-generation multi-chamber leadless cardiac pacing.
