Division of Smart Healthcare Engineering

　Smart healthcare systems supporting people's health and longevity are essental for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3, which aims to ensure acheving health and well-being for all. Our devision seeks to develop a smart healthcare system that facilitates the realization of a healthy society. To achieve this, we conduct research on the following key technologies: (1) wide-ranging sensing of biological information, (2) advancements in hardware, (3) efficient energy and information transmission to devices, and (4) reliable and secure information and communication, by promoting cross-desciplinary collaborative research.

　This devision advocates for a society in which health and welfare are guaranteed for all people, enabling them to maintain their well-being daily. Even in the face of decline in biological functions due to illness, they should be able to lead a high quality of life (QOL) as a normative expectation. One key area of research aimed at achieving this goal is the remote monitoring and control of biomedical information and implantable medical devices. These profile parients with safe and secure lives. To achieve this area of research several critical hardware requirements must be bet, including high-efficiency energy transimission, miniaturization, and low-power consumption of integrated circuits. Furthremore, two-way secure wireless communication systems are essential for effective telemedicine applications.

　In particular, the division will concentrate on the following research initiatives:

• Biological information sensing systems for diagnosing everyday health, focusing on thermology and metabolism.

• Artificial organs and non-contact energy supply sytems that can replace specific organs when their fuctions are impaired.

• Secure and robust wireless communicaation systems that support remote medical care, facilitate information transmission, and enhance health outcomes and longevity

　To promote inter-disciplinary research, this division began its research activities with the integration of researchers from various fields. Experts specializing in advanced medical devices and wireless communications collaborated with early researhers in physiology and materials engineering, who specialized in sensing biological information, such as thermology and metabolism. In addition, engineers and scientists were tasked with investigating power transmission for device operation, integrated circuits, and signal processing. This prioritized miniaturization, low power consumption, and sevure wireless communication to develop amart healthcare systems, including telemedicine.

(1) Sensing a wide range of biological information

• Exercise has profound effects on health and longevity. We plan to conduct research to elucidate the mechanisms underlying exercise-induced health benefits and longevity. 

• We aim to study the metabolism that contributes to disease diagnosis throught the noninvasive meauremnt of human thermogenesis.

• By leveraging several noninvasive biological indicators, such as electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmography (PPG), electrodermal activity (EDA), peripheral body temperature, and respiration, we aim to visualize aspects of mental health, which is typicaly challenging to quantify. This research will contribute to the planning of strategies that promote behavioral changes in individuals.

(2) Hardware brush-up

• The multifunctionallity of each system results in increased size and power consumption. Therefore, the miniturization and low power consumption of high-frequency analog circuits, particularly in the GHz band, are areas of research. This research will focus on the miniaturization and low power consumption of high-frequency front-end components  in the GHz band, including low-noise amplifiers and mixers.

• In signal processing for sensor systems, our objective is to improve the resolution and reduce the power consumption of analog-to-digital converters (ADC), which convert analog signals to digital signals, and digital-to-analog converters (DAC), which convert digital sgnals to analog signals.

• Additionally, we will use variation analysis and investigate the development of circuits that exhibit robustness to variations, with the aim of improving the yield and thereby enabling the cost-effective supply of integratedcircuits.

(3) Energy and information transmission for devices

• We aim to construct a system capable of transmitting information between the internal and external environments of small animals. 

• In collaboration with the (1) sensing group, we will investigate the effects of high-frequency magnetic fields generated by transcutaneous energy transmission on the human body.

(4) Stable and secure information and communications

• From a hardware perspective, we aim to develop a wireless communication system that incorporates advanced error control and robust communication capabilities to ensure high reliability.

• From a software perspective, our objective is to construct a "virtual communication environment" unique to this division using virtual private lines by implementing a site-to-site-VPN that connects multiple research facilities, thereby facilitating secure information exchange via the internet.

+ + + + +

　In addition to individual research, each group will engage in regular meetings and presentations with other groups to foster collaborative synergy. This will facilitate mutual exchange of findings and help achieve collective objectives.