UWB signal propagation in WBAN : a case study on implant channel modeling

Abstract

In recent years, the reduction in size of antennas and wireless communications hardware has lead to the advancement in wireless body area networks (WBAN). The complexities of transmission in and around the human body and the need for increased data rates require novel communication strategies. One system that can answer those needs is ultrawideband (UWB) communication, which can provide resistance to multipath effects inherent in the specific environment while making higher data rates available. With higher frequencies the problem of increased path loss arises, especially within a medium with low permittivity, such as human tissue. When designing wireless body area network systems, especially for medical use, the knowledge of the communication channel becomes paramount. Therefore empirical measurements need to be done to derive usable models. This work aims to determine the viability of using UWB in WBAN communications by the way of literary synthesis of various scientific articles and by performing measurements. From the literature and measurements, the phenomenon of large and tissue specific attenuation of the signal was found as a significant result. The results suggest that when designing WBAN devices, especially implants, the differences in body size and composition are important factors to consider.