A 3 MHz Low-Error Adaptive Howland Current Source for High-Frequency Bioimpedance Applications

Bioimpedance is a diagnostic sensing method used in medical applications, ranging from body composition assessment to detecting skin cancer. Commonly, discrete-component (and at times integrated) circuit variants of the Howland Current Source (HCS) topology are employed for injection of an AC current. Ideally, its amplitude should remain within 1% of its nominal value across a frequency range, and that nominal value should be programmable. However, the method’s applicability and accuracy are hindered due to the current amplitude diminishing at frequencies above 100 kHz, with very few designs accomplishing 1 MHz, and only at a single nominal amplitude. This paper presents the design and implementation of an adaptive current source for bioimpedance applications employing automatic gain control (AGC). The “Adaptive Howland Current Source” (AHCS) was experimentally tested, and the results indicate that the design can achieve less than 1% amplitude error for both 1 mA and 100 µA currents for bandwidths up to 3 MHz. Simulations also indicate that the system can be designed to achieve up to 19% noise reduction relative to the most common HCS design. AHCS addresses the need for high bandwidth AC current sources in bioimpedance spectroscopy, offering automatic output current compensation without constant recalibration. The novel structure of AHCS proves crucial in applications requiring higher β-dispersion frequencies exceeding 1 MHz, where greater penetration depths and better cell status assessment can be achieved, e.g., in the detection of skin or breast cancer.