Implantable and Ingestible Antenna Systems: From imagination to realization [Bioelectromagnetics]

Abstract

This article for the “Bioelectromagnetics” column takes a deep dive into the field of wireless implants and ingestibles, with a focus on antenna design. The review discusses recent advances in implantable/ingestible antenna design, provides a protocol for the successful design of such antennas, and concludes with an overview of the wide range of real-world applications that may benefit from this research area. Biomedical implantable technologies are life-saving modalities for millions of people globally because of their abilities of wireless remote monitoring, regulating the abnormal functions of internal organs, and early detection of cognitive disorders. Enabling these devices with wireless functionalities, implantable antennas are their crucial front-end components. Detailed overviews of the implantable and ingestible antennas, their types, miniaturization techniques, measurement phantoms, biocompatibility issues, and materials are available in the literature. This article comprehensively reviews the design processes, design techniques and methods, types of antennas, electromagnetic (EM) simulators, and radio-frequency (RF) bands used for implantable and ingestible antennas. We briefly discuss the latest advancements in this field and extend their scope beyond conventional implantable applications. Their related issues and challenges are highlighted, and the performance enhancement techniques have been discussed in detail. All the scoped implantable applications have been covered in this review. A standard protocol has been devised to provide a simple and efficient road map for the design and realization of the implantable and ingestible antenna for future RF engineers and researchers. This protocol minimizes the errors in simulations and measurements by enhancing the agreement between simulated and measured results and simplifies the process of development of implantable and ingestible antennas. It generalizes the process from idea to realization to commercialization and provides an easy road map for the industry.