Open AccessVia-less electromagnetic band-gap-enabled antenna based on textile material for wearable applications
Author(s) -
Adel Y. I. Ashyap,
Nassrin Ibrahim Mohamed Elamin,
Samsul Haimi Dahlan,
Zainal Abidin,
Chan Hwang See,
H. A. Majid,
Najib Al-Fadhali,
Jameel Abdulla Ahmed Mukred,
Gameel Saleh,
Bashar A. F. Esmail
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0246057
Subject(s) - specific absorption rate , antenna (radio) , wearable computer , antenna efficiency , radiation pattern , metamaterial , omnidirectional antenna , materials science , computer science , optoelectronics , acoustics , telecommunications , physics , embedded system
A compact fabric antenna structure integrated with electromagnetic bandgap structures (EBGs) covering the desired frequency spectrum between 2.36 GHz and 2.40 GHz for Medical Body-Area Networks (MBANs), is introduced. The needs of flexible system applications, the antenna is preferably low-profile, compact, directive, and robust to the human body's loading effect have to be satisfied. The EBGs are attractive solutions for such requirements and provide efficient performance. In contrast to earlier documented EBG backed antenna designs, the proposed EBG behaved as shielding from the antenna to the human body, reduced the size, and acted as a radiator. The EBGs reduce the frequency detuning due to the human body and decrease the back radiation, improving the antenna efficiency. The proposed antenna system has an overall dimension of 46×46×2.4 mm 3 . The computed and experimental results achieved a gain of 7.2 dBi, a Front to Back Ratio (FBR) of 12.2 dB, and an efficiency of 74.8%, respectively. The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) demonstrates a reduction of more than 95% compared to the antenna without EBGs. Moreover, the antenna performance robustness to human body loading and bending is also studied experimentally. Hence, the integrated antenna-EBG is a suitable candidate for many wearable applications, including healthcare devices and related applications.