At the University of Michigan, engineers have been working on developing tiny electronic devices that are small enough to be injected through a syringe. Their latest development is a miniature antenna that is specifically designed to transmit and receive data in vivo at distances up to one ft. The device can monitor glucose levels for diabetics and detect an irregular heartbeat. Data collected by the device can then be synced to an external monitoring device, such as a cellphone, because of its ability to transmit data outside of the body.

The device uses magnetism instead of electromagnetic radiation to transmit data because the body attenuates the latter very strongly. This is an important development that will help advance the field of implantable devices. Implantable devices can be smaller and more capable, allowing external monitoring devices that connect to the implants to be worn not just above the implant sites.

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