Multilayered Broadband Antenna for Compact Embedded Implantable Medical Devices: Design and Characterization

Abstract

Abstract-Design and characterization of a multilayered compact implantable broadband antenna for wireless biotelemetry applications is presented in this paper. The main features of this novel design are miniaturized size, structure that allows integration of electronic circuits of the implantable medical device inside the antenna, and enhanced bandwidth that mitigates possible frequency detuning caused by heterogeneity of biological tissues. Using electromagnetic simulations based on the finite-difference timedomain method, the antenna geometry was optimized to operate in the 401-406 MHz Medical Device Radio communications service band. The proposed design was simulated implanted in a muscle tissue cuboid phantom and implanted in the arm, head, and chest of a high-resolution whole-body anatomical numerical model of an adult human male. The antenna was fabricated using low-temperature co-fired ceramic technology. Measurements validated simulation results for the antenna implanted in muscle tissue cuboid phantom. The proposed compact antenna, with dimensions of 14 mm × 16 mm × 2 mm, presented a −10 dB bandwidth of 103 MHz and 92 MHz for simulations and measurements, respectively. The proposed antenna allows integration of electronic circuit up to 10 mm × 10 mm × 0.5 mm. Specific absorption rate distributions, antenna input power, radiation pattern and the transmission channel between the proposed antenna and a half-wavelength dipole were evaluated.

Design of an Ultra Compact Antenna for Low Frequency Applications

“…Table 1 shows the performance comparison of the proposed antenna with other antennas reported in literature. The MICS band antennas proposed in [8,10,11] require multiple layers or via process or both, which increases constructional complexity. Additionally, these antennas are designed on substrates with high dielectric constant.…”

“…Thus the challenge for low frequency antenna designers is to develop a compact antenna that can be well integrated in the device. In [8], the authors have presented compact multilayer antennas with vias for MICS band. In [9], a D-CRLH resonator for a low pass filter with wide rejection band, high roll-off, and transmission zeros is presented.…”

Multilayered Implantable Antenna Biosensor for Continuous Glucose Monitoring: Design and Analysis

“…The design considerations of implantable antennas for CGM include: minimizing the operating structure, the frequency of operation, confined specific absorption rate, increase in bandwidth, biocompatibility, and tuning insensitivity [10]. Previously reported antennas have been designed to operate in MICS [7,8], MedRedio [11,12], and ISM bands [3,7,9,[12][13][14]. To achieve a miniaturized implantable antenna, various antenna structures have been studied, such as planer inverted-F antenna (PIFA) [12], multi-layer PIFA with the high dielectric constant substrate [7-9, 11, 14], and the usage of magneto-dielectric material [13].…”

A Circularly Polarised Implantable Monopole Antenna for Biomedical Applications

“…In [8,9], multilayer configurations are used to reduce the antenna size. However, all the proposed antennas in the abovementioned works either have larger footprints or are linearly polarized.…”