Implantable antennas for ISM band applications in a human phantom
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Abstract
This study presents two antenna designs for implantable applications in the human head, operating within the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Both antennas are integrated into a flat device and evaluated through simulations using a human head phantom. The antenna designs include a structure optimized for 2.4 GHz operation. Each antenna was carefully designed to account for the altered electromagnetic behavior of biological tissue relative to free space. Simulations were conducted in Ansys Designer, using an FR4 substrate with the specified phantom layers to model the behavior of a multilayer antenna. To validate the simulation results, a six-layer head phantom was developed to mimic the dielectric and physical properties of human tissue, comprising skin, fat, muscle, skull, dura mater, and cerebrospinal fluid. Each layer was formulated with a specific mixture to reproduce its permittivity and conductivity accurately. After measurements were taken on the phantom, both antennas showed noticeable variations in absorption compared to free-space conditions. The E-shaped antenna exhibited differences of 6-10 dB, whereas the octagonal antenna varied by 2-10 dB. These results demonstrate the robustness of both designs under realistic conditions and support their viability for practical implantable applications.
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