Orthogonally Arranged Magnetoelectric Transducer Array for Omnidirectional Wireless Power Transfer

Background

Untethered bioelectronic systems, including medical implants and wearable sensors, critically rely on wireless power transfer (WPT), yet their widespread adoption is severely hampered by significant performance degradation when transmitters and receivers are misaligned. Natural body movements make maintaining precise alignment impossible, causing conventional techniques to often fail in dynamic environments. Existing attempts to achieve omnidirectional power reception typically involve bulky multi-coil configurations, while alternative modalities often present safety risks relating to the bone or with misalignment. Even though advanced magnetoelectric WPT has been integrated into the system, that still necessitates complex field-steering transmitters or additional sensing coils in the receiver, thereby compromising miniaturization and simplicity.

Technology

Researchers at Stony Brook University developed a novel technology that employs an orthogonally arranged magnetoelectric transducer array (OMETA) for omnidirectional wireless power transfer. It integrates three ultrathin magnetoelectric (ME) transducers, oriented orthogonally along the x, y, and z axes, which are electrically connected in series to a single power output terminal. When an alternating magnetic field is applied, the magnetostrictive layer within each transducer experiences strain, which is mechanically transferred to a piezoelectric layer. This layer then converts the strain into an electrical voltage. The orthogonal configuration ensures that at least one transducer remains optimally coupled to the magnetic field despite receiver rotation, tilt, or lateral displacement, providing stable, orientation-independent power delivery without requiring active control systems.