Transmission of RF Signals Between MICS Loop Antennas in Free Space and Implanted in the Human Head

This communication characterizes the transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals in Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) band (402-405 MHz) between the loop antennas placed in free space and implanted into a human head (beneath the skull) for medical applications. The investigation is carried out using a commercial EM simulator XFDTD based on a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method with a numerical human head model, and verified by the measurements with a phantom. The study shows the effects of human head on the transmission of RF signals between the antennas inside and outside a human head. The information derived from this study is useful for the link budget of medical systems with the wireless connection between implanted devices in human heads and external central controllers.

[1]  G. Vermeeren,et al.  Path loss model for wireless narrowband communication above flat phantom , 2006 .

[2]  James C. West,et al.  On iterative approaches for electromagnetic rough-surface scattering problems , 1999 .

[3]  Bing J. Sheu,et al.  Brain-implantable biomimetic electronics as the next era in neural prosthetics , 2001, Proc. IEEE.

[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]  William G. Scanlon,et al.  Radiowave propagation from a tissue-implanted source at 418 MHz and 916.5 MHz , 2000, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

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

[7]  A.J. Johansson Performance of a radio link between a base station and a medical implant utilising the MICS standard , 2004, The 26th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[8]  R.J. Sclabassi,et al.  Data communication between brain implants and computer , 2003, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering.