Efficient Antenna Design Process for Wireless Wearable and Implantable Devices

Wireless wearables and implantable devices form body sensor network systems that can help people by providing healthcare services such as medical monitoring, control of home appliances, medical data access, and communication in emergency situations. Many factors constrain antenna design choices. These include low signal power levels, minimal space availability and the effect that tissue characteristics have on the antenna. Most body tissues are highly dissipative and antennas must be specifically designed for a high dielectric environment. In this talk, we will present an efficient design process that takes in to account packaging of the antenna into the device casing as well as placement of the design on or inside of the human body. Efficient numerical simulations using Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) and Method of Moments (MoM) suitable of antenna designs will be reviewed.