Implantable Beamforming Antennas for Biomedical Applications

This research project addresses the challenge of miniaturizing antennas and enhancing beamforming for implantable devices operating at the 2.45 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) frequency band. Current implantable antennas typically use fixed omnidirectional or broadside radiation patterns, which limit data throughput and energy efficiency in medical devices.

The project investigates the feasibility of the first implantable beamforming antennas using a novel approach. This involves superposition of multiple spherical modes and multisector structures. Multi-port antennas will be utilized, where each port generates a spherical mode or excites a sector. By varying the phase between ports, a superposition of modes is achieved, enabling beamforming from electrically small antennas.

Key activities include antenna design, prototyping, analysis of effects within the human body, and measurements conducted in an anechoic chamber. The goal is to deliver new beamforming antenna technology for implantable medical devices. This technology aims to improve performance in terms of high data throughput, enhanced reliability, and longer battery life, while enabling new applications such as enhanced communication security through beamforming capabilities.