Performance analysis of triple-band miniaturized hexagonal ultra-wideband antenna for wireless body worn applications

Abstract

The creation of a network of tiny sensors installed in, on or around the human body has been facilitated by advancements in wireless communications and wearable devices. Because of its potential to transform healthcare delivery, Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) has been increasingly important in modern medical systems over the last decade. Individual nodes (sensors and actuators) embedded in a person's clothing, body, or skin form a WBAN. Both academia and industry have increased their efforts in WBAN research and development. The wearable antenna, whether on or off the human body, is a critical component of contact with particular design in WBAN networks. Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology can provide high-capacity, short-range communications with minimal energy consumption, which is appropriate for wireless body area networks. The human body's involvement in such a device creates significant challenges for both the wearable antenna's construction and the broadcast paradigm. To achieve many functionalities, multi-band and broadband antennas are better solutions. The proposed multi-band antenna is constructed from a FR4 substrate with dimensions of (24 × 25 × 1.6) mm3. The proposed design was successfully tested with different configurations and enhanced with a broad impedance bandwidth of over 100 percent, where the UWB frequency spectrum encompassed the range from 3 to 9 GHz with a reflective coefficient of −15 dB and gain of 2.5 dBi, as well as fair radiation patterns in the Federal Communications Commission range. The SAR value of the devised antenna with and without SRR being 2 W/kg, 3.5 W/kg, respectively. This solution may be a worthy contender for meeting the UWB demands as a result, could be an excellent fit for wireless body technologies.