The purpose of a Solid-State Circuits and Technology Committee (SSCTC) Workshop is to focus on a specific technical area, which is often an emerging technology. Workshops are held twice a year. The number of attendees is limited in order to promote good communication between speakers and attendees. The workshops are interactive meetings of experts in disciplines related to IC design and related topics. Neither tutorials nor short courses, the workshops are informal and no written presentation is required. Attendees are active in the field of the workshop. The speakers discuss the latest developments in their work and there is significant time allocated for audience participation and discussion.

This fall the workshop was on Biomedical Electronics and was sponsored by the IEEE Solid-State Circuits and Technology Committee with the cooperation of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Since the invention of integrated circuit technology in 1958, the contributions of microelectronics to biomedicine and health care have been enormous. Many advanced diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative devices and systems would not have been possible without these contributions. One can simply not envision various imaging systems (computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and ultrasound), implantable therapeutic and prosthetic devices (cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, and neuromuscular stimulators), physiological monitors, and telemedicine without microelectronics and integrated circuits. This influence is growing at an increasing rate in most part due to the recent advances in microelectromechanical (MEMS) based transducers and packaging technology, new and compact power sources (high efficiency inductive powering and miniature batteries), CMOS low-power design, and wireless integrated circuits. These advances will enhance the quality of care being delivered, and can eventually reduce health care costs. In addition, novel emerging technologies employing nanofabrication and its interface with biological components at the cellular and molecular level (nanobioelectronics) promise to revolutionize biomedicine in the 21 century. Topics discussed in the workshop included current and emerging technologies such as

A single channel implantable microstimulator for neuromuscular applications shown here in the bore of a gauge 10 hypodermic needle. Dr. Jeffrey Von Arx of Guidant Corporation discussed this device developed at the University of Michigan and other novel implantable microsystems at the day and a half interactive workshop of experts on biomedical electronics scheduled October 12, 13 in the Washington DC area.