Field Focusing for Implantable Telemetry Antennas

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) have many applications where implantation of smaller IMDs are desirable. For these smaller IMDs (potentially only a few mm in dimension), antennas for communication and power transfer will need to be smaller, as well. Expanding on previous research using biopolymer focusing rods to focus the fields, this research simulates a focusing system for implantable antennas. With this field focusing transmission into and out of the body is shown to improve with addition of focusing rods for both dipole and loop antennas. This paper offers a potential solution for electrically small antennas in IMDs and suggests further research on the topic.