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Multiband ultra-thin flexible on-body transceivers for wearable health informatics

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Abstract

Substantial concentration has been associated to the monitoring of vital signs and human activity using wireless body area networks. However, one of the key technical challenges is to characterize an optimized transceiver geometry for desired isolation/bandwidth and specific absorption rate (SAR) characteristics, independent of transceiver chip on-body location. A microwave performance evaluation of monopole wearable transceiver was completed and results presented. A novel on-body antenna transceiver was designed, simulated and fabricated using an ultra-thin substrate RO 3010 (h = 250 µm) that ensures compactness and enhanced flexibility. The designed transceiver was evolved using very high value of dielectric constant using CST® Studio Suit and FEKO® numerical platforms. The on-body characterization for both fatty and bone tissues was experimentally verified for a bandwidth of 200 MHz. The fabricated configuration and real-time testing provides very promising microwave radiation parameters with a gain of 2.69 dBi, S11 < − 13 dB at an operational frequency of 2.46 GHz. Multi-banding was achieved by introducing fractals in the design of the printed monopole. SAR calculations for feet, head and arm at microwave power levels ranging from 100 to 800 mW are incorporated. Furthermore, the real time data acquisition using developed transceiver and its experimental verification is illustrated.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Engr. Junaid Zafar acknowledges the grant entitled “Pakistan Programme for Collaborative Research”, an initiative of Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. Haroon Zafar is supported by an Irish Research Council (IRC) “Enterprise Partnership Scheme” Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (EPSPD/2016/20) and New Foundations Grant 2016.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan

    Mubasher Ali & Junaid Zafar

  2. Cardiovascular Research Centre, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Haroon Zafar & Faisal Sharif

  3. Lambe Institute for Translational Research, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Haroon Zafar, Martin O’Halloran & Faisal Sharif

  4. Translational Medical Devices Lab, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland

    Martin O’Halloran & Faisal Sharif

  5. CÚRAM, SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices, Galway, Ireland

    Faisal Sharif

  6. BioInnovate Ireland, Galway, Ireland

    Faisal Sharif

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  1. Mubasher Ali
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  2. Junaid Zafar
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  3. Haroon Zafar
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  4. Martin O’Halloran
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  5. Faisal Sharif
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Correspondence to Junaid Zafar.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Ali, M., Zafar, J., Zafar, H. et al. Multiband ultra-thin flexible on-body transceivers for wearable health informatics. Australas Phys Eng Sci Med 42, 53–63 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-018-0711-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-018-0711-2

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