In- and On-Body Antennas

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Simulated SAR values of two antennas on the body at 5.8 GHz: a reconfigurable beam-steering antenna (left) vs. a loop antenna (right).

EMF simulations of a smart watch antenna.

Wireless hearing aid simulation (top) and measurement on a head phantom (bottom) to evaluate link quality, gain, and directivity.

In- and On-Body Antennas

Expertise & Infrastructure

The IT'IS Foundation designs and validates devices containing electrically small, resonant and non-resonant antennas, which can accommodate anatomical variations while respecting safety regulations. IT'IS calls on decades of experience in antenna development and safety assessment, as well as detailed knowledge about the intricacies of regulatory agencies and the corresponding processes due to their active participation and membership in IEC/ISO standard groups.

The group’s exposure assessment laboratories are equipped with the most advanced tools including the latest DASY8 RX90L and a wide range of specialized probes including OH4VNA.

Select Customized Research Projects of the Past Years

Evaluated in vivo link budget and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) compliance of an implanted pacemaker for a major manufacturer;
Investigated the wireless microphone transmission performance at various bands in the presence of a human body, including the effect of the antenna placement and its distance from the body on its radiation pattern and link budget loss (body loss) for different frequencies, for the Swiss Federal Office of Communications;
Evaluated the potential interference of wireless hearing aids with medical data service and medical implant communications devices, for a hearing aid industry body;
Optimized the combined inductive power transfer and communication between external and implanted devices, in collaboration with a major acoustic implant manufacturer.

Solutions Beyond State-of-the-Art

Wireless biomedical and wearable devices, whether implanted (e.g., pacemakers, deep brain stimulators (DBS), electroceuticals), or body-worn (e.g., glucose monitors, hearing aids, wireless body area network (WBAN) devices), face unique challenges in their design and safety assessment, and require customized solutions for wireless communication as well as power transfer. IT'IS is eager to work with potential partners to develop and evaluate the efficacy and safety of such novel technologies.

Contact

We look forward to discussing with you how we can best support your R&D initiatives and regulatory submissions – simply call us at +41 44 245 96 96 or send us an email at customized@itis.swiss.

RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS

Capstick, M., Kühn, S. & Kuster, N. Photonic measurement technology for electrically small antennas. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Photonics Applied to Electromagnetic Measurements (PEM2017), Zurich, Switzerland, October 5- 6, 2017

Kühn, S., Kochali, B., Tonini, A. & Kuster, N. Removing the Cable Effect from Antenna Radiation Pattern Measurements with a RoF Link. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Photonics Applied to Electromagnetic Measurements (PEM2017), Zurich, Switzerland, October 5- 6, 2017

Capstick, M., Kühn, S. & Kuster, N. Low Perturbation Measurement of Electrically Small Antennas. In Proceedings of the 10th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP 2016), Davos, Switzerland, April 11-15, 2016

Capstick, M., Kühn, S. & Kuster, N. Measurement Technology for Electrically Small Antennas. In Proceedings of the 12th Loughborough Antennas and Propagation Conference (LAPC), Loughborough, United Kingdom, November 14-15, 2016

Kühn, S., Pfeifer, S., Grobbelaar, E., Kochali, B., Sepan, P. & Kuster, N. A Validated Reactive Near-Field Phasor Measurement System for Antenna Pattern Measurements. In Proceedings of the 10th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP 2016), Davos, Switzerland, April 11-15, 2016

Karampatzakis, A., Kühn, S., Tsanidis, G., Neufeld, E., Samaras, T. & Kuster, N. Antenna Design and Tissue Parameters Considerations for an Improved Modelling of Microwave Ablation in the Liver. Physics in Medicine & Biology, 58(10):3191-3206, 2013, doi:10.1088/0031-9155/58/10/3191

Karampatzakis, A., Kühn, S., Tsanidis, G., Neufeld, E., Samaras, T. & Kuster, N. Heating Characteristics of Antenna Arrays Used in Microwave Ablation: A Theoretical Parametric Study. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 43(10):1321-1327, 2013

Gosselin, M.C., Vermeeren, G., Kühn, S., Kellerman, V., Benkler, S., Uusitupa, T., Joseph, W., Gati, A., Wiart, J., Meyer, F., Martens, L., Nojima, T., Hikaje, T., Balzano, Q., Christ, A. & Kuster, N. Estimation Formulas for the Specific Absorption Rate in Humans Exposed to Base-Station Antennas. IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, 53(4):909-922, 2011, doi:10.1109/TEMC.2011.2139216

Vermeeren, G., Gosselin, M.C., Kühn, S., Kellerman, V., Hadjem, A., Gati, A., Joseph, W., Wiart, J., Meyer, F., Kuster, N. & Martens, L. The Influence of the Reflective Environment on the Absorption of a Human Male Exposed to Representative Base Station Antennas from 300 MHz to 5 GHz. Physics in Medicine & Biology, 55(18):5541-5555, 2010, doi:10.1088/0031-9155/55/18/018

Capstick, M., Jekkonen, J., Marvin, A., Flintoft, I. & Dawson, L. A Novel Indirect Method to Determine the Radiation Impedance of a Handheld Antenna Structure. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 58(3):578-585, 2009, doi:10.1109/TIM.2008.2005263

Gosselin, M.C., Christ, A., Kühn, S. & Kuster, N. Dependence of the Occupational Exposure to Mobile Phone Base Stations on the Properties of the Antenna and the Human Body. IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, 51(2):227-235, 2009, doi:10.1109/TEMC.2009.2013717

Kühn, S., Kuster, N. & al, e. Dosimetric Evaluation of the Radio Communication Device: Sensimed Triggerfish, equipped with a 3mm foamed rubber coated antenna based on IEC62209 Part 2; Report Version 6. , 2009

Vermeeren, G., Gosselin, M.C., Kühn, S., Joseph, W., Martens, L. & Kuster, N. Influence of a Reflective Environment on the Absorption of a Human Male Exposed to Representative Base Station Antennas from 300MHz to 5GHz. In Abstract Collection of the Joint Meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society and the European BioElectromagnetics Association, Davos, Switzerland, June 14-19, 2009

Gosselin, M.C., Vermeeren, G., Kühn, S. & Kuster, N. WP6: Full Wave SAR - Representative Base Station Antennas. , 2008

Christ, A., Gosselin, M.C., Kühn, S., Jennings, W. & Kuster, N. Characterization of the Electromagnetic Energy Absorption of the Human Body Exposed to the Radiation of Base Station Antennas. In Proceedings of the 29th Annual Meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society, Kanazawa, Japan, June 10-15, 2007, pages 200-201

Christ, A., Gosselin, M.C., Kühn, S., Jennings, W. & Kuster, N. Characterization of the Electromagnetic Energy Absorption of the Human Body Exposed to the Radiation of Base Station Antennas. , 2007

Gosselin, M.C., Christ, A., Kühn, S., Jennings, W. & Kuster, N. Characterization of the Electromagnetic Absorption of the Human Body Exposed to the Radiation of Base Station Antennas. , 2007

Kühn, S., Chavannes, N., Schmid, T., Schmid, D. & Kuster, N. Fast Dosimetric Assessment System for RandD of Antennas and Transmitter Systems. , 2006

Kühn, S., Schmid, T., Schmid, D. & Kuster, N. Fast Dosimetric Assessment System for RandD of Antennas and Transmitter Systems. In Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium with USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, Albuquerque, USA, July 9-15, 2006, pages 461-463