Link budget investigations for ingestible antenna in MedRadio band

Ingestible Medical Devices (IMDs) have given a strong boost to the health sector by creating new horizons in the prevention, monitoring and treatment of diseases in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In this study, we numerically assess the telemetry link between an ingestible antenna and an on-body antenna which acts as a repeater. Both antennas can be incorporated in a complete Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) system. Two different scenarios are examined to assess the performance of the ingestible antenna inside the small intestine of an anatomical human model and the link with the on-body antenna. The ingestible antenna is placed in vertical and horizontal position inside the small intestine. It is found that a reliable communication link can be established, regardless the antenna orientation inside the small intestine, for a net input power of the ingestible antenna significantly lower than the maximum allowable power recommended by the IEEE safety guidelines