Compact Miniaturized Antenna Design for Enhanced Data Rates in Implantable Brain-Machine Interfaces

Abstract

This paper presents an ultra-wideband implantable antenna designed for brain-machine interface, covering the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band from 2.4 to 2.48 GHz. The antenna, integrated into a phantom to evaluate coupling effects, is constructed using a substrate of Rogers 3006, and a superstrate composed of the same material featuring thicknesses of 0.13 mm and 0.25 mm, respectively. These materials exhibit advantageous dielectric characteristics, such as flexibility, conformable structure, and biocompatibility, making them suitable for medical applications. To maintain the attributes of an electrically small radiator and ensure optimal performance, the antenna is designed with dimensions of 3.3 x 4 x 0.38 mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> . Open-ended slots in the radiating element facilitate antenna miniaturization, enhance impedance matching, and broaden the bandwidth. Notably, the antenna achieves a peak gain of -22.5 dBi and an impedance-matched bandwidth of 12.5% within the ISM band. Finite element simulations were conducted using HFSS (High-Frequency Structure Simulator) in a homogeneous environment to evaluate the performance of the implantable antenna. Validation of the results was achieved using CST (Computer Simulation Technology), demonstrating the robustness and reliability of the obtained outcomes.