volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

First, we report on the design, simulation and measurement of a 2-4 GHz conformable antenna optimized for skin contact and implemented on a flexible printed circuit for integration into a wearable device. Second, we experimentally verify the suitability of appropriately long (~10 cm) microstrip traces for the wearable system signal distribution network, which features varying radii of curvature. Consequently, the contribution of the here reported work is two-fold. First, the experimental results obtained both with breast phantoms and on-body measurements, demonstrate a return loss below -10 dB in the desired frequency band. Phantom results also show a through-breast transmission coefficient of above -40 dB at the centre frequency of 3 GHz. Second, and essential for signal integrity in our target application, the results show that the longitudinal curvature of such a microstrip does not increase transmission line losses.

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Dr. Emily Porter

Dr. Gregory Walls

Dr. Yahe Zhou

Dr. Milica Popović

Dr. Joshua D. Schwartz