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Tissue Coupled UHF Antennas for Medical Implants
Investigator: William Scanlon
This EPSRC funded research project (GR/M82288/01) was an investigation of antennas for next-generation active medical implant communications. The work is now completed. Please see the overview, technical report and list of relevant publications below.
Non-Technical Overview
Next generation active medical implants will require reliable short range communications for both telemetry and telecommand functions within a wireless body area network (WBAN). This research programme investigated the use of UHF-radio transmission for medical implant communications by considering tissue-coupled antenna systems at frequencies up to 2 GHz, but focussed on 403 MHz and 868 MHz. These medical implant communication systems (MICS) will be found in the 'first-metre' of a wide range of applications and as part of WBAN or even wireless personal area networks. Patients may carry or wear a device that communicates with their implant (or implants), performs some data processing and then relays information to and from the wider network. Likewise, advanced applications will require implant to implant communications. The work investigated antenna characteristics and wave propagation effects using numerical analysis with whole-body tissue models. In addition, the work addressed the difficulties in modelling antennas embedded in non-homogeneous media through the development of new numerical techniques. The results from this research programme directly support the development of new, innovative WBAN-based medical implant applications meeting the requirements of both physicians and their patients.
Final Report
A PDF version of the final report can be downloaded from here.
Publication Output
- A.J. Johansson, A. Karlsson, W.G. Scanlon, N.E. Evans & Y. Rahmat-Samii, 'Medical implant communication systems,' Chap. 9 in Antennas and Propagation for Body-Centric Wireless Communications, eds. P.S. Hall & Y. Hao, Artech House, Norwood, MA, pp. 241–270, 2006. [ISBN: 1-58053-493-7]
- N.F. Timmons & W.G. Scanlon, 'Analysis of the performance of IEEE 802.15.4 for medical sensor body area networking,' 1st IEEE Comms. Soc. Intl. Conf. on Sensor and Ad Hoc Communications and Networks (SECON), Santa Clara, CA, pp. 16–24, Oct. 2004. [doi: 10.1109/SAHCN.2004.1381898]
- W.G. Scanlon, 'Analysis of tissue-coupled antennas for UHF intra-body communications,' 12th IEE Intl. Conf. Antennas & Propagation (IEE Conf. Publ. No. 491), vol. 2, pp. 747–750, April 2003. [doi: 10.1049/cp:20030184]
- W.G. Scanlon & N.E. Evans, 'Numerical analysis of bodyworn UHF antenna systems,' IEE Electronics & Communication Engineering Journal, vol. 12, 2, pp. 53-64, 2001. [doi: 10.1049/ecej:20010203]
- W.G. Scanlon, N.E. Evans, S. Cascino & G. Cerri, 'A hybrid time-domain technique for numerical modelling of tissue-implanted antennas,' URSI Intl. Symp. Electromagnetic Theory, pp. 479-481, May 2001.
- W.G. Scanlon, S. Cascino & P. Russo, 'Hybrid method for time-domain analysis of wire antennas embedded in a scattering dielectric medium,' 11th IEE Intl. Conf. Antennas & Propagation (ICAP), pp. 861-865, April 2001. [doi: 10.1049/cp:20010418]
- W.G. Scanlon, J.B. Burns & N.E. Evans, 'Radiowave propagation from a tissue-implanted source at 418 MHz and 916.5 MHz,' IEEE Trans. Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 47, 4, pp. 527–534, Apr. 2000. [doi: 10.1109/10.828152]