A discrete CMUT self-biasing circuit towards implanted devices application

Wireless power transfer is an essential feature of biomedical engineering. It reduces the need for energy storage devices in medical implants. To recharge a body implanted battery, a convenient way is to transmit ultrasounds through the skin to a connected ultrasonic transducer. Lead-less, System-on-Chip compatible (SoC) and wideband, Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (CMUT) are competitive with piezoelectric based technologies. However, their need for a high bias voltage is an obstacle to their use in implanted medical devices (IMDs). The voltage source required must meet precise specifications, such as reliability and volume, which the research community intends to respect. To meet this challenge, this work proposes an electronic circuit that allows a CMUT device to self-bias from a very low initial energy input. After presenting the electronic architecture and its main features, simulation and experimental results validate the solution’s working principle and operating points. With an electronic circuit made up of discrete components, a bias voltage of 60V is built up from an implanted battery voltage of 2.2 V and an incident pressure of 120 kPa in water.