An Experimental Procedure and Initial Results of RF Propagation in Human Subjects

In this paper, we designed a procedure for in vivo RF propagation measurements and presented initial results performed on human subjects. More specifically, two wooden frames with holes are manufactured to fix two broadband horn antennas. Then, a human subject is positioned between the prepared fixture and a vector network analyzer is used to measure the RF propagation at multiple distances. The experiments were performed in an anechoic chamber under an approved protocol. Initial experimental results showed that for a 3 ft distance between horn to horn with human subjects standing in between, 70% of power is lost in the human body and 30% is received by the second horn antenna at 900 MHz. However, the RF power loss increased up to 100% over a frequency range from 900 MHz-18 GHz when the horn antennas are in direct contact with the human subject.