volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

Wireless capsule endoscopy systems utilize a combination of hardware and software devices to ensure the healthcare of a human being. In praise of involved antennas in the overall medical system design, UWB (Ultra-Wideband) range occupies highest ranks in the literature. The low-band of UWB is regarded as the best frequency range, within the approved standards, to realize the better transmission of captured medical images by the capsule inside the SI tract, in terms of high resolution and low-path loss. A variety of passive capsules have been designed and made available in the literature, while the accurate design of the corresponding on-body antenna is lagging. For this purpose, this paper provides an extended study of a recently published on-body antenna operating at 3.75-4.25 GHz band. The measured antenna realizes good directivity of 5.78 dBi and 9.50 dBi towards the body without and with the cavity, respectively. The direction of the proposed on-body antenna beam is targeted to be mounted on the body surface. On-body simulations were run with CST Microwave Studio by involving an abdominal multi-layer model, and followed by navel and back areas of the voxel model to predict the antenna behavior close to different lossy body environments. Later, the antenna structure was measured next to a real human abdomen. Simulation results reveal that the proposed antenna with or without the cavity enables enhanced in-body communication when mounted on the abdomen with less path loss. This is supported by the low power totaling 20 dB at the SI (Small Intestine) tract. Furthermore, on-body measurements confirm the good antenna performance. Consequently, the planar compact antenna is regarded as a good on-body candidate for wireless capsule endoscopy systems.

1. Bharadwaj, R., S. Swaisaenyakorn, C. G. Parini, J. C. Batchelor, and A. Alomainy, "Impulse radio ultra-wideband communications for localization and tracking of human body and limbs movement for healthcare applications," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 65, No. 12, 7298-7309, 2017. Google Scholar

2. Strackx, M., E. D’Agostino, P. Leroux, and P. Reynaert, "Direct RF subsampling receivers enabling impulse-based UWB signals for breast cancer detection," IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. II Express Briefs, Vol. 62, No. 2, 144-148, 2015. Google Scholar

3. Wang, S., Y. Ji, D. Gibbins, and X. Yin, "Impact of dynamic wideband MIMO body channel characteristics on healthcare rehabilitation of walking," IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett., Vol. 16, 505-508, 2017. Google Scholar

4. Li, Y. and M. Zhang, "Study on a cylindrical sensor network for intelligent health monitoring and prognosis," IEEE Access, Vol. 6, 69195-69202, 2018. Google Scholar

5. Li, Y., L. Yang, W. Duan, and X. Zhao, "An implantable antenna design for an intelligent health monitoring system considering the relative permittivity and conductivity of the human body," IEEE Access, Vol. 7, 38236-38244, 2019. Google Scholar

6. Vispa, A., L. Sani, M. Paoli, A. Bigotti, G. Raspa, N. Ghavami, S. Caschera, M. Ghavami, M. Duranti, and G. Tiberi, "UWB device for breast microwave imaging: Phantom and clinical validations," Measurement, Vol. 146, 582-589, 2019. Google Scholar

7. Niendorf, T., T. Huelnhagen, L. Winter, and K. Paul, "13 — Human cardiac magnetic resonance at ultrahigh fields: Technical innovations, early clinical applications and opportunities for discoveries," Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (Third Edition), 142-160.e4, 2019. Google Scholar

8. Chen, C.-A., S.-L. Chen, C.-H. Lioa, and P. A. R. Abu, "Lossless CFA image compression chip design for wireless capsule endoscopy," IEEE Access, Vol. 7, 107047-107057, 2019. Google Scholar

9. Charfi, S., M. E. Ansari, and I. Balasingham, "Computer-aided diagnosis system for ulcer detection in wireless capsule endoscopy images," IET Image Process., Vol. 13, No. 6, 1023-1030, 2019. Google Scholar

10. Hoang, M. C., V. H. Le, J. Kim, E. Choi, B. Kang, J.-O. Park, and C.-S. Kim, "Untethered robotic motion and rotating blade mechanism for actively locomotive biopsy capsule endoscope," IEEE Access, Vol. 7, 93364-93374, 2019. Google Scholar

11. Munoz, F., G. Alici, H. Zhou, W. Li, and M. Sitti, "Analysis of magnetic interaction in remotely controlled magnetic devices and its application to a capsule robot for drug delivery," IEEE ASME Trans. Mechatron., Vol. 23, No. 1, 298-310, 2018. Google Scholar

12. Leung, B. H. K., C. C. Y. Poon, R. Zhang, Y. Zheng, C. K. W. Chan, P.W. Y. Chiu, J. Y. W. Lau, and J. J. Y. Sung, "A therapeutic wireless capsule for treatment of gastrointestinal haemorrhage by balloon tamponade effect," IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng., Vol. 64, No. 5, 1106-1114, 2017. Google Scholar

13. Charthad, J., M. J.Weber, T. C. Chang, and A. Arbabian, "A mm-sized implantable medical device (IMD) with ultrasonic power transfer and a hybrid bi-directional data link," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 50, No. 8, 1741-1753, 2015. Google Scholar

14. Barbi, M., C. G.-Pardo, A. Nevarez, V. P. Beltran, and N. Cardona, "UWB RSS-based localization for capsule endoscopy using a multilayer phantom and in vivo measurements," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 67, No. 8, 5035-5043, 2019. Google Scholar

15. Shao, G., Y. Tang, L. Tang, Q. Dai, and Y.-X. Guo, "A novel passive magnetic localization wearable system for wireless capsule endoscopy," IEEE Sens. J., Vol. 19, No. 9, 3462-3472, 2019. Google Scholar

16. Alam, M. W., Md. M. Hasan, S. K. Mohammed, F. Deeba, and K. A.Wahid, "Are current advances of compression algorithms for capsule endoscopy enough? A technical review," IEEE Rev. Biomed. Eng., Vol. 10, 26-43, 2017. Google Scholar

17. Miah, Md. S., A. N. Khan, C. Icheln, K. Haneda, and K.-I. Takizawa, "Antenna system design for improved wireless capsule endoscope links at 433 MHz," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 67, No. 4, 2687-2699, 2019. Google Scholar

18. Peng, Y., K. Saito, and K. Ito, "Dual-band antenna design for wireless capsule endoscopic image transmission in the MHz band based on impulse radio technology," IEEE J. Electromagn. RF Microw. Med. Biol., Vol. 3, No. 3, 158-164, 2019. Google Scholar

19. Duan, Z., L.-J. Xu, S. Gao, and W. Geyi, "Integrated design of wideband omnidirectional antenna and electronic components for wireless capsule endoscopy systems," IEEE Access, Vol. 6, 29626-29636, 2018. Google Scholar

20. Chu, H., P.-J. Wang, X.-H. Zhu, and H. Hong, "Antenna-in-package design and robust test for the link between wireless ingestible capsule and smart phone," IEEE Access, Vol. 7, 35231-35241, 2019. Google Scholar

21. Lei, W. and Y.-X. Guo, "Design of a dual-polarized wideband conformal loop antenna for capsule endoscopy systems," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 66, No. 11, 5706-5715, 2018. Google Scholar

22. IEEE Standard for Local and metropolitan area networks — Part 15.6: Wireless Body Area Networks, IEEE Std 802.15.6-2012.

23. ISO/IEC/IEEE International Standard — Information technology — Telecommunications and information exchange between systems — Local and metropolitan area networks — Specific requirements — Part 15-6: Wireless body area network, ISO/IEC/IEEE 8802-15-6:2017(E).

24. Thotahewa, K. M. S., J.-M. Redoute, and M. R. Yuce, "Propagation, power absorption, and temperature analysis of UWB wireless capsule endoscopy devices operating in the human body," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., Vol. 63, No. 11, 3823-3833, 2015. Google Scholar

25. Dissanayake, T., M. R. Yuce, and C. Ho, "Design and evaluation of a compact antenna for implant-to-air UWB communication," IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett., Vol. 8, 153-156, 2009. Google Scholar

26. Anzai, D., K. Katsu, R. C. Santiago, Q. Wang, D. Plettemeier, J. Wang, and I. Balasingham, "Experimental evaluation of implant UWB-IR transmission with living animal for body area networks," IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., Vol. 62, No. 1, 183-192, 2014. Google Scholar

27. Wang, Q., K. Wolf, and D. Plettemeier, "An UWB capsule endoscope antenna design for biomedical communications," 2010 3rd International Symposium on Applied Sciences in Biomedical and Communication Technologies (ISABEL 2010), Rome, Italy, 2010. Google Scholar

28. Ahmed, G., S. U. Islam, M. Shahid, A. Akhunzada, S. Jabbar, M. K. Khan, M. Riaz, and K. Han, "Rigorous analysis and evaluation of specific absorption rate (SAR) for mobile multimedia healthcare," IEEE Access, Vol. 6, 29602-29610, 2018. Google Scholar

29. Bisheh, K. M., M. G. Miab, and B. Zakeri, "Evaluation of different approximations for correlation coefficients in stochastic FDTD to estimate SAR variance in a human head model," IEEE Trans. Electromagn. Compat., Vol. 59, No. 2, 509-517, 2017. Google Scholar

30. Simbor, S. P., C. Andreu, C. G. Pardo, M. Frasson, and N. Cardona, "UWB path loss models for ingestible devices," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., Vol. 67, No. 8, 5025-5034, 2019. Google Scholar

31. Kissi, C., M. Sarestoniemi, T. Kumpuniemi, M. Sonkki, S. Myllymaki, M. N. Srifi, and C. P. Raez, "Low-UWB receiving antenna for WCE localization," 13th International Symposium on Medical Information and Communication Technology (ISMICT), Oslo, Norway, 2019. Google Scholar

32. https://www.rohacell.com/product/peekindustrial/downloads/rohacell%20hf%20product%20information. pdf.

33. https://www.itis.ethz.ch/virtual-population/tissue-properties/database/dielectric-properties/.

34. Akkus, O., A. Oguz, M. Uzunlulu, and K. Kizilgul, "Evaluation of skin and subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness for optimal insulin injection," J. Diabetes Metab., Vol. 3, No. 8, 1-5, 2012. Google Scholar

35. Sarestoniemi, M., C. P. Raez, C. Kissi, T. Kumpuniemi, M. Sonkki, M. Hamalainen, and J. Iinatti, "Fat in the Abdomen area as a propagation medium in WBAN applications," Body Area Networks: Smart IoT and Big Data for Intelligent Health Management, 14th EAI International Conference, BODYNETS 2019, 175-187, Florence, Italy, 2019. Google Scholar

36. C95.7-2014 — IEEE Recommended Practice for Radio Frequency Safety Programs, 3 kHz to 300 GHz, IEEE Std C95.7-2014 (Revision of IEEE Std C95.7-2005).

37. C95.2-2018 — IEEE Standard for Radio-Frequency Energy and Current-Flow Symbols, IEEE Std C95.2-2018 (Revision of IEEE Std C95.2-1999).

38. C95.3-2002 — IEEE Recommended Practice for Measurements and Computations of Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields With Respect to Human Exposure to Such Fields, 100 kHz–300 GHz, IEEE Std C95.3-2002 (Revision of IEEE Std C95.3-1991), 1–126, 2003.

39. Balanis, C. A., Antenna Theory Analysis and Design, 3rd Ed., 27-68, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2005.

40. Tuovinen, T., M. Berg, K. Y. Yazdandoost, and J. Iinatti, "Ultra wideband loop antenna on contact with human body tissues," IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation, Vol. 7, No. 7, 588-596, 2013. Google Scholar

Dr. Chaïmaâ Kissi

Dr. Mariella Särestöniemi

Dr. Timo Kumpuniemi

Dr. Sami Myllymäki

Dr. Marko Sonkki

Dr. Juha-Pekka Mäkelä

Dr. Mohamed Nabil Srifi

Dr. Heli Jantunen

Dr. Carlos Pomalaza-Raez