Wireless power source and/or communication for bioarrays

• US 20070109116A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Burr, Jeremy
• Application Number:
  US11/273,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20070109116A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

In various embodiments, a bio-op device (a device for performing biological operations of detection and/or transport and/or synthesis of biological molecules) may have either or both of the following characteristics: 1) it uses electrical energy harvested from electromagnetic (EM) radiation received by the bio-op device to power the operations of the bio-op device, 2) it reports operation results wirelessly using a radio circuit that is part of, or attached to, the bio-op device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first bioarray;

a controller coupled to the first bioarray to control an operation of the first bioarray; and

a radio circuit coupled to the controller to wirelessly transmit a result of the operation of the first bioarray.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio circuit is to wirelessly receive at least one command pertaining to the operation of the first bioarray.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operation is a configuration operation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio circuit comprises a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag circuit, the first RFID tag circuit to:

power itself from radio frequency (RF) energy received through an RFID antenna; and

wirelessly transmit the result through the RFID antenna.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first RFID tag circuit is to power the operation of the first bioarray from the RF energy received through the RFID antenna.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first bioarray and the first RFID tag circuit are in a same integrated circuit die.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first bioarray and the first RFID tag circuit are in a same integrated circuit package.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a second bioarray electrically coupled to a second RFID tag circuit, wherein the first and second bioarrays and the first and second RFID tag circuits are on a same substrate.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an antenna coupled to the radio circuit.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving electromagnetic radiation;

harvesting electrical energy from the received electromagnetic radiation;

powering a bioarray with the harvested electrical energy;

performing an operation with a bioarray; and

wirelessly transmitting a result of the operation.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving a command for the bioarray through an antenna; and

configuring the bioarray based on the command.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said receiving, said harvesting, and said powering are performed with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said performing an operation and said transmitting are performed within a living organism.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said performing the operation comprises performing an operation selected from a list consisting of:

molecular detection, molecular transport, and molecular synthesis.

15. An apparatus, comprising

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader device to:

wirelessly transmit a first signal targeted to a bio-op device; and

wirelessly receive a second signal from the bio-op device modulated with a result of a first operation performed by the bio-op device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RFID reader is to forward the result to a processor for analysis.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RFID reader device is to process the result for analysis.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the RFID reader device is to wirelessly transmit a third signal targeted to the bio-op device to command the bio-op device to be reconfigured for a second operation.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an antenna coupled to the RFID reader device.

20. A method, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a first signal targeted to a bio-op device; and

wirelessly receiving a second signal from the bio-op device modulated with a result of a first operation performed by the bio-op device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising forwarding the result to a processor for analysis.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising wirelessly transmitting a third signal targeted to the bio-op device to command the bio-op device to be reconfigured for a second operation.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising processing the result for analysis.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said wirelessly transmitting comprises wirelessly transmitting the first signal to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the first operation is an operation selected from a list consisting of:

molecular detection, molecular transport, and molecular synthesis.

26. An article comprising

a machine-readable medium that contains instructions, which when executed by at least one machine results in performing:

transmitting a first wireless signal targeted to a bio-op device; and

receiving a second wireless signal from the bio-op device modulated with a result of a first operation performed by the bio-op device.

27. The article of claim 26, wherein said executing the instructions further results in performing forwarding the result to a processor for analysis.

28. The article of claim 26, wherein said executing the instructions further results in performing transmitting a third wireless signal targeted to the bio-op device to command the bio-op device to be reconfigured for a second operation.

29. The article of claim 26, wherein said executing the instructions further results in performing processing the result for analysis.

30. The article of claim 26, wherein said transmitting a first wireless signal comprises transmitting the first wireless signal to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in the bio-op device.