Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium 2007, Prague, Czech Republic, August 27-30

51

Implanted Antenna for an Artificial Cardiac Pacemaker System

Tamotsu Houzen1 , Masaharu Takahashi2 , and Koichi Ito3
1

Graduate school of Science and Technology, Chiba University, Japan

Research Center for Frontier Medical Engineering, Chiba University, Japan
3
Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, Japan

Abstract A planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) using an implanted antenna for medical implant telemetry system (MITS) is proposed. The antenna is located on the surface of an artificial
cardiac pacemaker in order to monitor medical information such as a cardiac beat. Design of the
antenna is applied to the human body which is substituted by a 2/3 muscle-equivalent phantom
and the antenna is numerically analyzed by use of the finite-differential time domain (FDTD)
method. Moreover, to estimate a communication in the real environment a link budget calculation is presented. As a result, the proposed antenna operating at 402405 MHz-band is able to
create a communication link of the MITS with the external equipment which is located within
6 m distance and 104 degree of altitude.
1. INTRODUCTION

Recently, the medical implant telemetry system (MITS) has been investigated with a great interest. MITS is a tool that transmitting vital signals such as a cardiac beat of a patient from an
implanted antenna which embedded into the human body to the external antenna using wireless
communication link. This system is able to reduce a number of visits of doctors to diagnose the patients, and to facilitate physical or mental burden of the patients. In addition, it can communicate
without a wire piercing of the skin which has an advantage to prevent the infection with a germ
in a medical diagnosis. Up to now, many of the implanted antennas have been developed [13] to
realize the system. In this paper, a planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is proposed as the implanted
antenna which is located on the surface of the artificial cardiac pacemaker as the implanted medical
equipment.
2. DESIGN AND ANALYZING METHOD OF IMPLANTED ANTENNA

The PIFA has some merits i.e., simple, thin, and compact. In order to realize MITS, the PIFA is
chosen for the implanted antenna which located on the surface of the artificial cardiac pacemaker.
Fig. 1 shows the configuration of the antenna model with the pacemaker. The antenna element
whose dimension by 35 20 mm2 is located between the substrate and superstrate layer (r = 10.0)
in order to prevent the effect of the human body by decreasing effects of a high conductive tissue.
The PIFA is fed near the center of the element and shorted at the right edge to the pacemaker in
order to make the PIFA matched on 50 . Here, the pacemaker whose dimension by 39309 mm3
serves as the ground of the PIFA. To analyze the numerical calculation model, the pacemaker is
imitated in the box of a perfect electric conductor (PEC). Fig. 2 depicts the numerical calculation
model when the whole structure of the antenna is embedded into the 2/3 muscle-equivalent phantom
(r = 38.09, = 0.53 S/m) with the used electrical constants is at 403.5 MHz [4]. In order to
evaluate the electric effects of the antenna to the phantom, the distance between the surface of the
phantom and the surface of the antenna (d) is changed.
3. PERFORMANCES OF IMPLANTED ANTENNA AND LINK BUDGET
CALCULATION

Figure 3 describes the S-parameter performance by numerical calculation using the 2/3 muscleequivalent phantom. From this figure, the resonant frequency shifts to the higher by increasing
the distance between the surface of the phantom and the surface of the PIFA (d). However, it is
confirmed that S11 performance is lower than 10 dB at the target frequency (402405 MHz) for
both of the PIFA models. Fig. 4 represents radiation characteristics of the PIFA in the x-z and
y-z plane by numerical calculation using the 2/3 muscle-equivalent phantom. Here, the radiation
characteristics are in the main polarization direction. In this case, as the distance d increases, the
gain decreases in the both planes because of the loss of human tissue. The direction of maximum
radiation in the y-z plane is at = 0 degree. However, the one in the x-z plane is about = 60

PIERS Proceedings, August 27-30, Prague, Czech Republic, 2007

52

39.0
dielectric substrate and superstrate
(r = 10.0)

35.0

1.0
2.0

feeding point
22.0

20.0

30.0

shorting pin

shorting pin

box of PEC
x (artificial cardiac pacemaker)

z
Unit [mm] [SIDE VIEW]

[TOP VIEW]

9.0

free space

x
Unit [mm]

Figure 1: Configuration of PIFA and artificial cardiac pacemaker model.

2/3 muscle-equivalent phantom

150mm

300mm
z

300mm

Figure 2: Numerical calculation model.

degree because the dimension of the ground plane is very small. The maximum gain of the model
at d = 5 mm, d = 10 mm and d = 15 mm is 28.9 dBi, 30.0 dBi and 30.5 dBi, respectively.
Table 1 shows a link budget between the implantable antenna and the receiver. The distance
between the transmitter and the receiver is 6.0 m and the application is supposed to be used in the
sickroom. When the bit rate is assumed 7 kbps in consideration of the transmitting vital signal, the
needed implanted antenna gain should be more than 35.0 dBi in Table 1. It can be stated that
that the wireless communication is possible to be occurred within the range of about 232 centered
at 0 in the x-z plane, or 104 centered at 0 in the y-z plane as shown in Fig. 4.
Table 1: Link budget calculation
Frequency

403.5 MHz

Transmission power

72.6 dBW

Tx antenna gain

35.0 dBi

EIRP

108.6 dBW

Distance

6.0 m

Path loss

40.1 dB

Bit rate

7 kbps

Link C/N0

51.6 dBHz

Require C/N0

50.6 dBHz

Margin

1.0 dB

Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium 2007, Prague, Czech Republic, August 27-30

53

S11 [dB]

-10

-20

d = 5 mm
d = 10 mm
d = 15 mm

-30
100

200

300
400
500
Frequency [MHz]

600

700

Figure 3: S-parameter.

( = 180 deg
deg))

( = 0 deg)

45

( = 270 deg)

-20
45

( = 90 deg)

45

-30

-20
45

-40
-50
90
Gain [dBi]

90

-40
-50
90
Gain [dBi]

90

d = 5 mm
135

135
180
(a) x-z plane

d = 10 mm
d = 15 mm

-30

d = 5 mm
135

135
180

d = 10 mm
d = 15 mm

(b) y-z plane

Figure 4: Radiation characteristics.

4. CONCLUSION

This paper proposed a PIFA with an artificial cardiac pacemaker for use of MITS. The calculation
model is composed of the PIFA and the pacemaker embedded in the 2/3 muscle-equivalent phantom.
The distance between the top of the phantom and the antenna (d) is changed and the model is
numerically analyzed by use of the FDTD method. Numerical results show that as the distance
d increases, the resonant frequency shifts to the higher and the gain decreases because of the loss
and the high permittivity of the human tissue. However, the proposed antenna resonates at 402
405 MHz band, and the maximum gain is 30.5 dBi is confirmed. Moreover, according to the link
budget calculation, required gain is 35.0 dBi for the wireless communication, when the distance
between the transmitter and the receiver is 6.0 m. Here, the wireless communication is possible to
be occurred in the range of 104 and, the proposed antenna is able to be used for the MITS.
REFERENCES

1. Kim, J. and Y. Rahmat-Samii, Implanted antennas inside a human body: simulations, designs, and characterizations, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., Vol. 52, No. 8, 19341943,
August 2004.
2. Soontornpipit, P., C. Y. Furse, and Y. C. Chung, Design of implantable microstrip antenna
for communication with medical implants, IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., Vol. 52,
No. 8, 19441951, August 2004.
3. Ito, K., H. Usui, and M. Takahashi, Performances of an implanted cavity slot antenna embedded in the human upper arm, Proceedings of 2006 International Symposium on Antennas
and Propagation (ISAP 2006), 88, Singapore, November 2006.

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PIERS Proceedings, August 27-30, Prague, Czech Republic, 2007

4. Gabriel, C and S Gabriel, Compilation of the dielectric properties of body tissues at RF and
microwave frequencies, Armstrong Laboratory (AFMC), Radiofrequency Radiation Division,
Brooks Air Force Base, USA. Available from http://www.brooks.af.mil/AFRL/HED/hedr/reports/dielectric/Report/Report.html, 1996.