Link budget study and realization of time-domain measurement setup for implantable antennas

This paper extends the study of a previously proposed wideband implantable antenna designed to operate at superficial level in the muscle, as part of a passive medical sensor. The antenna covers the frequency band between 1.4 GHz and 4.2 GHz and is compatible with the integration of an energy scavenging circuit. In the present paper we assess experimentally the antenna time-domain performance and emphasize some aspects regarding the set-up and measurements. Finally, we evaluate the impact of the demanding European interference regulation on the link budget, by studying the power transfer between the passive implant and an external reader that supplies the energy wirelessly for powering the implant.