Stanford Researchers Develop Wireless Cardiac Technology  New
wireless technology developed by Stanford researchers could
eliminate the need for batteries in implantable medical devices.
A team of researchers, led by assistant professor of electrical
engineering Ada Poon, designed a new kind of medical device that
functions on radio waves rather than a battery. This technology
allows implantable devices to be driven by a small power source
that can be worn on the outside of the body.  “Batteries suffer
from two flaws that are fatal for many applications,” wrote John
Ho, a graduate student who worked on the device, in an email to
The Daily. “One, they are large – typically several centimeters
in one dimension. Two, they must be periodically replaced, which
requires surgery.”  While batteries are notoriously bulky, the
device created by Poon’s team can be contained in a cube that
measures 0.8 millimeters on each side, meaning it can fit on the
head of a pin.  The team hopes that removing the battery could
lead