Microwaves in Medical Engineering (FTE-MMG)

The Microwaves in Medical Engineering Group (MMG) headed by Assoc. Prof. Robin Augustine, is one of the leading research groups in the area of point-of-care sensing for clinical diagnostics and monitoring. The MMG  is part of the Solid State Electronics Division of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Uppsala University, Sweden.  MMG’s vision encompasses development of biomedical sensors for multitude of clinical conditions ranging from orthopaedics to neuroscience. MMG consists of engineers and physicists from inter disciplinary areas such as intra-body microwave communication, dielectric characterization, electrophysiological signal analysis, robotics, bionics, biomechatronics, neuroprosthetics, human phantom development, bio-mechanics, clinical measurements etc. Currently MMG has 5 researchers, 2 PhD students, 3 research engineers and 6 interns.

MMG has pioneered the point-of-care microwave sensing applications such as non-invasive bone density analysis, intra cranial pressure sensing, post-surgery lymph oedema monitoring and muscle mass/quantity estimation for diagnosis of Sarcopenia. MMG is developing several microwave sensors (also at other frequencies) and are subject to various clinical trials with in Sweden and across Europe. MMG initiatives are supported by VR project grant, Osteodiagnosis, Carl Trygger, Olle Engkvist, Eurostars COMFORT (2015) and H2020 Eurostars MAS (2020) and Indo-Swedish Vinnova DST, grants. For developing clinical sensors MMG collaborates mainly with Akademisksjuhuset, UMC Utrecht, UMC Maastricht.

In the area of Intra-Body Communtication (IBC) - MMG has pioneered the Fat-Intra body communication (Fat-IBC) technology for realizing wearable and implantable sensor networks using high data rate microwave transmission through subdermal and visceral fat layers in the body. This enables variety of applications such as closed loop diabetes systems, cardiac monitoring, DBS, brain machine interface etc. MMG is responsible for the establishing intrabody wireless network in the EU H2020 RIA SINTEC project. SSF LifeSec: Don’t Hack My Body and Vinnova Connect My Body, are supporting are supporting MMG Fat-IBC initiatives inbuilding implanted network of sensors and systems for various medical applications since 2018. For developing sports and clinical platforms MMG collaborates with Mitt Universitet (Swedish Winter Sports), Hospitals in Turin and Valencia.

In the biomechatronics area MMG strives to model highly dextrous artificial extremities for amputees enabling full duplex operation including sensing and control. It uses advanced 3-D printing technologies for devising arm prostheses. ZigBee/WiFi protocols are used for data transmission and control for the wireless operation of bionic arm.

MMG has been very active in the field of tissue emulating phantoms. MMG could deliver anthropomorphic phantoms with long shelf life and dielectric properties close to human tissues. Microwave phantoms are very useful in different areas such as telecommunication, body area networks, physiological sensor developments. Apart from microwave phantoms MMG is also developing phantoms useful for ultra sound and MRI.

MMG has also established track record in time domain microwave imaging of cranial (and bone) defects. MMG collaborates with Prof. Paul M Meaney’s group at Thayer’s school of Engineering at Dartmouth (Matariki member institute), Hanoever in the area of microwave sensing and are jointly developing in-situ bone density measurement systems. MMG has the wet lab for phantom and printed board developments, hosted in the clean room facility and a dry lab for microwave characterization, electrophysiological sensor development, Fat-IBC system design and biomechatronic research at Angstrom. 

If you want to know more about our research group, you will find links to specific topics below under the heading "More about our research", "People" and "Publications". 

More about our research