Conformal antennas for miniature in-body devices: The quest to improve radiation performance

Abstract

In-body devices for wireless biotelemetry and neural interfacing could empower many breakthroughs in medicine and clinical research. Despite signifi cant progress in antenna design, improving the radiation performance of miniature in-body devices remains a major challenge because, for the time being, they are able to operate at distances of only up to a few meters. Here, we start by presenting a comprehensive review of existing antenna solutions and operating-range extension methods. We then describe the design and operation of a miniature capsule-conformal microstrip antenna with improved radiation effi ciency. We demonstrate that with the proposed methodology, the operating range of deep-body (5  cm) devices could reach 10 m to 15 m. This would allow monitoring physiological parameters unaff ecting mobility and the quality of life of a user, as well as increasing the energy effi ciency of the in-body device.