Recent developments and technological advancements in wireless communication, MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) technology and integrated circuits has enabled low-power, intelligent, miniaturized, invasive/non-invasive micro and nano-technology sensor nodes strategically placed in or around the human body to be used in various applications, such as personal health monitoring. This exciting new area of research is called Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) and leverages the emerging IEEE 802.15.6 and IEEE 802.15.4j standards, specifically standardized for medical WBANs. The aim of WBANs is to simplify and improve speed, accuracy, and reliability of communication of sensors/actuators within, on, and in the immediate proximity of a human body. The vast scope of challenges associated with WBANs has led to numerous publications. In this paper, we survey the current state-of-art of WBANs based on the latest standards and publications. Open issues and challenges within each area are also explored as a source of inspiration towards future developments in WBANs.

Wireless Body Area Networks: A Survey

Metasurfaces: From microwaves to visible

Antennas implanted in a human body are largely applicable to hyperthermia and biotelemetry. To make practical use of antennas inside a human body, resonance characteristics of the implanted antennas and their radiation signature outside the body must be evaluated through numerical analysis and measurement setup. Most importantly, the antenna must be designed with an in-depth consideration given to its surrounding environment. In this paper, the spherical dyadic Green's function (DGF) expansions and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code are applied to analyze the electromagnetic characteristics of dipole antennas and low-profile patch antennas implanted in the human head and body. All studies to characterize and design the implanted antennas are performed at the biomedical frequency band of 402-405 MHz. By comparing the results from two numerical methodologies, the accuracy of the spherical DGF application for a dipole antenna at the center of the head is evaluated. We also consider how much impact a shoulder has on the performance of the dipole inside the head using FDTD. For the ease of the design of implanted low-profile antennas, simplified planar geometries based on a real human body are proposed. Two types of low-profile antennas, i.e., a spiral microstrip antenna and a planar inverted-F antenna, with superstrate dielectric layers are initially designed for medical devices implanted in the chest of the human body using FDTD simulations. The radiation performances of the designed low-profile antennas are estimated in terms of radiation patterns, radiation efficiency, and specific absorption rate. Maximum available power calculated to characterize the performance of a communication link between the designed antennas and an exterior antenna show how sensitive receivers are required to build a reliable telemetry link.

Implanted antennas inside a human body: simulations, designs, and characterizations

Preface 1. Introduction 2. FDTD Method for periodic structure analysis 3. EBG Characterizations and classifications 4. Design and optimizations of EBG structures 5. Patch antennas with EBG structures 6. Low profile wire antennas on EBG surfaces 7. Surface wave antennas Appendix: EBG literature review.

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Electromagnetic Band Gap Structures in Antenna Engineering

A simple ground plane structure that can reduce mutual coupling between closely-packed antenna elements is proposed and studied. The structure consists of a slitted pattern, without via's, etched onto a single ground plane and it is therefore low cost and straightforward to fabricate. It is found that isolations of more than -20 dB can be achieved between two parallel individual planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs) sharing a common ground plane, with inter-antenna spacing (center to center) of 0.116 lambdao and ground plane size 0.331lambdao 2. At 2.31 GHz it is demonstrated that this translates into an edge to edge separation between antennas of just 10 mm. Similarly the structure can be applied to reduce mutual coupling between three or four radiating elements. In addition the mutual coupling between half wavelength patches and monopoles can also be reduced with the aid of the proposed ground plane structure. Results of parametric studies are also given in this paper. Both simulation and measurement results are used to confirm the suppression of mutual coupling between closely-packed antenna elements with our slitted ground plane.

Reduction of Mutual Coupling Between Closely-Packed Antenna Elements

A new defected ground structure (DGS) for the microstrip line is proposed in this paper. The proposed DGS unit structure can provide the bandgap characteristic in some frequency bands with only one or more unit lattices. The equivalent circuit for the proposed defected ground unit structure is derived by means of three-dimensional field analysis methods. The equivalent-circuit parameters are extracted by using a simple circuit analysis method. By employing the extracted parameters and circuit analysis theory, the bandgap effect for the provided defected ground unit structure can be explained. By using the derived and extracted equivalent circuit and parameters, the low-pass filters are designed and implemented. The experimental results show excellent agreement with theoretical results and the validity of the modeling method for the proposed defected ground unit structure.

A design of the low-pass filter using the novel microstrip defected ground structure

Future utilization of smart clothing will necessitate applications of multi-function and multi-frequency wearable antennas. The paper addresses the development of a dual-band E-shaped textile antenna for wearable applications. We have considered felt fabric to design an antenna for 2.2 GHz and 3.0 GHz frequencies. The antenna input matching and radiation characteristics have been determined by FDTD simulations and by measurements. Numerical modeling of specific absorption rate was also performed. The results show clearly that E-shaped textile antennas are suitable for multiband operation.

Dual-band E-shaped patch wearable textile antenna

One of the main objectives of this lecture is to summarize the results of recent research activities of the authors on the subject of implanted antennas for medical wireless communication systems. It is anticipated that ever sophisticated medical devices will be implanted inside the human body for medical telemetry and telemedicine. To establish effective and efficient wireless links with these devices, it is pivotal to give special attention to the antenna designs that are required to be low profile, small, safe and cost effective. In this book, it is demonstrated how advanced electromagnetic numerical techniques can be utilized to design these antennas inside as realistic human body environment as possible. Also it is shown how simplified models can assist the initial designs of these antennas in an efficient manner.

Implanted Antennas in Medical Wireless Communications

Based on a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) configuration, two different shaped (meandered and spiral) antennas are designed using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations and measurement results. The antennas are installed on an implantable medical device in a biological-tissue simulating model. The impedance-matching and radiation characteristics of two PIFAs are compared in order to observe which shape is more appropriate for wireless communication links of implantable medical devices. Additionally, the effects of the human skin's thickness on the antennas are studied in order to consider medical devices which are implanted in various subcutaneous tissues. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 567–572, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21409

Jaehoon Kim

Papers

A design of the low-pass filter using the novel microstrip defected ground structure

Implanted antennas inside a human body: simulations, designs, and characterizations

Dual-band E-shaped patch wearable textile antenna

Implanted Antennas in Medical Wireless Communications

Planar inverted‐F antennas on implantable medical devices: Meandered type versus spiral type