Metamaterial-integrated wearable UWB antenna with SAR reduction and gain enhancement for Wireless Body Area Sensor Networks (WBASNs): Design and experimental verification

IF 4.1 3区工程技术 Q2 ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC

Sensors and Actuators A-physical Pub Date : 2025-03-23 DOI:10.1016/j.sna.2025.116499

Said Douhi , Yassir Houssaini , Sudipta Das , Varalakshmi Subramanian , Boddapati Taraka Phani Madhav , M.’hammed Mazroui , Adil Eddiai

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Electromagnetic metamaterials play a pivotal role in regulating and manipulating electromagnetic wave propagation, driving innovations in high-performance microwave devices, and sensing technologies. This research introduces an innovative, wearable, ultra-wideband (UWB) flexible antenna combined with a metamaterial structure (MM) for Wireless Body Area Sensor Networks (WBASNs). The suggested design features a 7 × 7 array of artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) unit cells located at the rear of the antenna, serving as a reflector. This design markedly diminishes back radiation, decreases the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), augments gain, and enhances the Front-to-Back Ratio (FBR). The antenna is composed entirely of textile materials, exhibiting flexibility, durability, cost-effectiveness, lightweight properties, and ease of fabrication. Its conformal shape guarantees comfort and versatility, which is ideal for WBASN applications. The antenna with the AMC attains a functional bandwidth (S₁₁ < −10 dB) of 7.9 GHz (5.1 GHz to 13 GHz), encompassing the UWB frequency spectrum. Without the AMC, the simulated SAR values for 10 g of human tissue are 0.751, 1.06, and 0.715 W/kg at frequencies of 6, 8, and 11 GHz, respectively. Utilizing the AMC with the antenna, these values significantly diminish to 0.0784, 0.0252, and 0.0532 W/kg, indicating an average SAR reduction of 96.84 % over the evaluated frequencies. This reduction guarantees compliance with international safety standards. The incorporation of the AMC array results in a significant enhancement in broadband gain, increasing the peak gain from 2.55 dBi to 9.14 dBi, thus reaching an improvement of 6.59 dBi. Deformation analysis verifies uniform performance in both curved and planar shapes. The fabrication procedure is uncomplicated, and experimental outcomes closely align with simulations, indicating reliability in both free-space and on-body settings. This adaptable antenna is a viable solution for sophisticated sensing and actuation technologies, rendering it an optimal choice for wearable and biomedical applications.

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来源期刊

Sensors and Actuators A-physical 工程技术-工程：电子与电气

CiteScore

8.10

自引率

6.50%

发文量

630

审稿时长

49 days

期刊介绍： Sensors and Actuators A: Physical brings together multidisciplinary interests in one journal entirely devoted to disseminating information on all aspects of research and development of solid-state devices for transducing physical signals. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical regularly publishes original papers, letters to the Editors and from time to time invited review articles within the following device areas: • Fundamentals and Physics, such as: classification of effects, physical effects, measurement theory, modelling of sensors, measurement standards, measurement errors, units and constants, time and frequency measurement. Modeling papers should bring new modeling techniques to the field and be supported by experimental results. • Materials and their Processing, such as: piezoelectric materials, polymers, metal oxides, III-V and II-VI semiconductors, thick and thin films, optical glass fibres, amorphous, polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon. • Optoelectronic sensors, such as: photovoltaic diodes, photoconductors, photodiodes, phototransistors, positron-sensitive photodetectors, optoisolators, photodiode arrays, charge-coupled devices, light-emitting diodes, injection lasers and liquid-crystal displays. • Mechanical sensors, such as: metallic, thin-film and semiconductor strain gauges, diffused silicon pressure sensors, silicon accelerometers, solid-state displacement transducers, piezo junction devices, piezoelectric field-effect transducers (PiFETs), tunnel-diode strain sensors, surface acoustic wave devices, silicon micromechanical switches, solid-state flow meters and electronic flow controllers. Etc...