Fully Funded EPSRC and Swansea University PhD Scholarship: Wireless Power Transfer System for Medical Implant Devices

Funding providers: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Swansea University's Faculty of Science and Engineering

Subject areas: Electronic and electrical engineering, physics and biomedical engineering

The research is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions for wireless power transfer systems tailored for medical implant devices. This interdisciplinary research will involve the integration of power electronic converters and machine learning algorithms to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and safety of power delivery to medical implants. 

Project start date: 

• 1 October 2024 (Enrolment open from mid-September)
• 1 January 2025 (Enrolment open from mid-December)

Project description: 

Implantable medical devices (IMD’s) are gaining popularity in the health and medical sectors because of their vast applications, such as cardiac pacemakers, artificial hearts, defibrillators, coronary stents, intraocular lenses, hip implants, orthopaedic implants, and implantable glucose sensors. Traditionally, these IMDs are battery-dependent with limited life span hence surgery is required to replace the battery, which is the biggest source of distress in patients. A wireless power transfer (WPT) system can prove to be an excellent alternative that acts as a wireless charger to the medical implants.

However, there are many considerations when designing a WPT system. For example, the distance between power transmitter and position of the IMD inside the human body, the operating frequency and its effect on the body’s tissue, and size of the WPT system are some of the major considerations.

Therefore, the research into WPT system consists of optimizing the size and geometry of the coils of transmitter and receiver, appropriate material selection for the coil, finding the optimal operating frequency, improving the quality factor of the inductors and selection of best performing compensation capacitor to enhance the efficiency of the system.

Eligibility 

Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) in Engineering or similar relevant science discipline. If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship (i.e. a student who is eligible to pay the UK rate of tuition fees) but do not hold a UK degree, you can check our comparison entry requirements. Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency.

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA regulations.

Please visit our website for more information on eligibility.

Additional Funding Information

This scholarship covers the full cost of UK tuition fees and an annual stipend at £19,237.

Additional research expenses will also be available.