What is MICS (Medical Implant Communication System)?

MICS or Medical Implant Communication System is a short-range communication technology which is used for transmitting data to medical devices implanted in the body. It operates at a frequency from 402 to 405 MHz and has a range of up to 2 meters.

In July 1999, The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed the 402 - 405 MHz band for MICS and allowed ultra-low-power medical implants, such as cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators to use this frequency band. After this FCC proposal, other countries have also started using this band.

How does it work?

A MICS network consists of devices implanted inside the body (IMD) or device placed on the body (wearable or body-worn device) and a programmer /controller (P/C). 

IMDs perform sensing and therapeutic functions, and the P/C is used to reprogram and send commands to the implanted devices. The P/C unit can transmit data collected from the implanted devices to a physician’s monitoring device by employing the existing communication systems (Ex. the Internet). The P/C can also communicate with other communication systems, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), for remote control and monitoring of the patient's condition.