EAPSI:Ultra High Frequency Implantable Antennas for Healthcare Applications

Chrysler Andrew M, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

Antennas operating near or inside the human body are important for a number of applications, including healthcare. Implantable medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers and retinal implants are a growing feature of modern healthcare, and implantable antennas for these devices are necessary to monitor battery level and device health, to upload and download data used in patient monitoring, and more. This project will create a UHF RFID tag antenna that can be inserted under the skin for a permanent application. Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RFID tag antennas are printed using conductive ink and have found increased applications due to advantages such as minimal cost, low maintenance, good tag read range, and ability to operate without an integrated battery. Despite their potential use in long-term patient monitoring and wireless biometric tracking there is limited research on UHF RFID for insertion in high-loss human body environments. This research will greatly benefit from procedures already in place at Dr. You Chung Chung's antenna lab at Daegu University in Daegu, Korea. The research will use HFSS electromagnetic simulation software to adapt existing slotline antennas from the High Frequency (HF) range to the UHF range. Slotline antennas are easy to parameterize and fabricate for RFID use. Promising simulation designs will be fabricated using conductive inks such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Fabricated antenna designs will be tested using available Network Analyzer equipment and liquids that simulate the electromagnetic environment of the human body. Overall, this research will contribute to implantable antenna research. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with National Research Foundation of Korea.