Design of an implantable broadband antenna for medical telemetry applications

The design and characterization of a compact stacked implantable broadband antenna for medical telemetry applications is reported in this paper. The antenna operates in the 402-405 MHz frequency band, which is approved for medical implant communication services. The electromagnetic modeling is based on the finite-difference time-domain method. The proposed antenna was tested in fluid that simulates mean body tissue and characterized in a high-resolution whole-body anatomical model of an adult human male. The bandwidth enhancement and initial tuning necessary for correct functioning inside the human body were taken into account in the design. To improve its applicability, the antenna was designed to be integrated with compact implantable medical devices. The specific absorption rate distribution and the communication link were also analyzed. The optimized antenna design was produced using low-temperature co-fired ceramic technology. Antenna reflection coefficient and communication path losses were measured.

[1]  Cynthia M. Furse.  Biomedical telemetry: Today's opportunities and challenges , 2009, 2009 IEEE International Workshop on Antenna Technology.

[2]  K. Yee.  Numerical solution of initial boundary value problems involving maxwell's equations in isotropic media , 1966 .

[3]  Niels Kuster,et al.  The Virtual Family—development of surface-based anatomical models of two adults and two children for dosimetric simulations , 2010, Physics in medicine and biology.

[4]  C.M. Furse,et al.  Design of implantable microstrip antenna for communication with medical implants , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[5]  Chien-Ming Lee,et al.  Bandwidth enhancement of planar inverted‐F antenna for implantable biotelemetry , 2009 .

[6]  Leszek Golonka,et al.  Low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) microsystems , 2011 .

[7]  Chao-Ming Wu,et al.  Bandwidth enhancement and size reduction of an implantable PIFA antenna for biotelemetry devices , 2009 .

[8]  Ching-Hsing Luo,et al.  Compact broadband stacked implantable antenna for biotelemetry with medical devices , 2006, 2006 IEEE Annual Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference.

[9]  Mohammad Ghavami,et al.  Miniaturized implantable broadband antenna for biotelemetry communication , 2008 .

[10]  A. Kiourti,et al.  A Review of Implantable Patch Antennas for Biomedical Telemetry: Challenges and Solutions [Wireless Corner] , 2012, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine.

[11]  S. Curto,et al.  DETUNING STUDY OF IMPLANTABLE ANTENNAS INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY , 2012 .

[12]  E. Topsakal,et al.  Design of a Dual-Band Implantable Antenna and Development of Skin Mimicking Gels for Continuous Glucose Monitoring , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[13]  Ying-Zong Juang,et al.  Compact broadband stacked implantable antenna for biotelemetry with medical devices , 2007 .

[14]  Y. Rahmat-Samii,et al.  Implanted antennas inside a human body: simulations, designs, and characterizations , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.