A Miniaturized Implantable Telemetry Biosensor for the Long-Term Dual-Modality Monitoring of Core Temperature and Locomotor Activity.

Abstract

Implantable telemetry biosensors have become powerful tools for continuous physiological monitoring with minimal animal perturbation. However, commercially available implants are relatively oversized for small animals such as mice and have limited transmission range, leading to concerns about animal welfare, experiment scenarios, and the reliability of the data. In this study, we designed a telemetry system that tracks the animals' body temperature and locomotor activity in real time. The implant integrates a temperature sensor with a 3-axis accelerometer and is capable of wirelessly transmitting data over a 40 m mesh network. The implant's temperature performance was evaluated in bench tests, showing a response rate of 0.2 °C/s, drift ≤ 0.03 °C within 31 days, and a standard deviation of 0.035 °C across three identically designed implants. Meanwhile, the in vivo implant's locomotion recordings showed strong agreement with computer vision analysis with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.95 (p < 0.001), and their body temperature recordings were aligned to differential states of rest, exercise, or post-exercise recovery. The results demonstrate stable and highly accurate performance over the 30-day implantation period. Its ability to minimize behavioral interference while enabling long-term continuous monitoring highlights its value in both biomedical and animal behavior research.