Miniaturized circularly polarized wearable array antenna for medical device applications

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Antenna Theory

Background:

• Antenna miniaturization is critical for wearable healthcare applications.
• Existing designs often face performance trade-offs.
• Reliable and compact antennas are needed for medical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a miniaturized, circularly polarized (CP) sequential wearable array antenna for medical applications.
• To evaluate its performance, including bandwidth, gain, and polarization characteristics.
• To ensure compliance with safety standards for medical devices.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a compact array antenna (110x95x1.8 mm) with novel circular elements (24x24x1 mm).
• Utilized a cascade feeding network with rat-race and branch-line couplers.
• Experimental testing and simulation to validate performance metrics and safety.

Main Results:

• Achieved wide impedance bandwidth (21.24%) and Axial Ratio (AR) bandwidth covering the 2.4 GHz ISM band.
• Demonstrated excellent impedance matching, gain pattern, and circular polarization.
• Confirmed specific absorption rate (SAR) compliance with IEEE C95.1-1999 standards.

Conclusions:

• The proposed miniaturized CP wearable antenna shows promising performance for medical applications.
• Its compact size, wide bandwidth, and safety compliance make it suitable for wearable wireless communication.
• The design offers a reliable solution for the growing needs of remote patient monitoring and healthcare.