Design of a Quad Band Microstrip Antenna for Wearable Wireless Devices and investigations on substrate types and performance at various body sites

This work proposes a novel Quad Band Microstrip Antenna for Body Wearable Wireless Devices (BWWD). The designed antenna finds immense applications in general health monitoring utilizing wearable devices, sports health monitoring and observing military personnel in war field where monitoring bio-signals is the prime objective. Ultra high frequency (UHF) and Ultra wide band (UWB) technology adequately meet power, size and distance considerations for WBANs. The antenna designed operates at quad bands, resonating at 1.8 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz and 8.9 GHz when placed on human body. They are the de-licensed, GSM, Wi-Fi and UWB. The antenna design considers the interaction of body tissues with the electromagnetic (EM) fields, which is different when compared to free space. The performance of the antenna is investigated at different places on the body and for different type of substrates. Most common and comfortable sites on body are chosen as anatomical sites for placement of WWD. A simplified, human body tissue layer model that is frequency dependent in its properties is used for simulations. Simulations are carried out using EM analysis tools.