Design and characterization of a UWB slot antenna optimized for radiation in human tissue

Ultra-wideband (UWB) short-range communication systems are valuable in medical technology, particularly for implanted devices, due to their low power consumption, low cost, and high-data rates. Hence, antennas suitable for implantation in the human body are desired. The focus of this publication is on the design of a small planar UWB slot antenna, optimized for operation in human tissue. The antenna is fed by a triplate line and operates in the frequency range 3.1 GHz-10.6 GHz. The characterization of the antenna is performed in selected tissue mimic liquids, and the obtained radiation diagram shows a desired uniform characteristic over frequency. The measured mean antenna gain is 3.8 dBi. Besides the antenna design, the general properties of human tissue, the lossy phantom liquids, and the measurement setup for the radiation in human tissue are briefly discussed within this paper.