Student project: Design of a broadband bio-impedance readout with frequency range from 1k-to-1MHz

What you will do

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive, safe, and low-power imaging solution for tissue impedances. For body composition analysis single frequency (SF) and multi-frequency (MF) by sweeping a single frequency are widely adopted in EIT to enable in-depth analysis by measuring the frequency dependency of complex tissue impedances. 

Another application area is the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The PNS consists of the nerves outside of the central nervous system (CNS) and connects the CNS to the organs, limbs, and skin. It is a two directional pathway between CNS and internal organs and hence can have powerful impact on the functionality of both. The interest in peripheral nerve stimulation is growing as an alternative or a complement to pharmacological treatment. Stimulation of a specific nerve in a bundle of nerves like the Vagus nerve can be done by using the temporal interfering stimulation (TIS) method. EIT can be used to find this specific nerve for the treatment.

This project aims to develop a broadband bio-impedance readout with frequency range from 1k-to-1MHz for electrical impedance tomography.

• Literature survey of the state-of-the-art.
• Research and development of an architecture of a broadband bio-impedance readout.
• Modelling of the system in Cadence with ideal components.
• Design and simulation of the required circuits for the chosen architecture, including schematic and layout using Cadence EDA tools. 
• Tape-out and measurement of the chip if time permits.
• Optionally, depending on results write a paper.

What we do for you

You will be working on cutting-edge research on a topic that is relevant to both academic and industrial research groups. To help you in this journey, we offer a flexible environment where you can be the leader of your own research while at the same time have support of experts to complete your tasks. As part of the team in IMEC-Netherlands you will have opportunities to learn from the some of the best minds.

IMEC has in-house experts in analog and mixed-signal design who can help you in shaping this multi-disciplinary research project.

Who you are

• You are a Msc student in Electronics Engineering.
• You are available for a period of at least 9 months.
• You have knowledge of analog/mixed-signal circuits through course and/or project work.
• Knowledge of power management circuit is a plus.
• You are excited about low-power analog circuit design.
• You are familiar with Cadence design environment or similar CAD tools.
• You are familiar with MATLAB or Python.
• You are entitled to do an internship in the Netherlands.
• You are self-starter and able to work independently.
• Good written and verbal English skills.

Interested

Does this project sound like an interesting next step in your career at imec? Don’t hesitate to submit your application by clicking on ‘APPLY NOW’.
Got some questions about the recruitment process? Martijn Kohl of the Talent Acquisition Team will be happy to assist you.