An ELC meta-resonator inspired wideband wearable MIMO antenna system for biotelemetry applications

Abstract

A compact wideband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna for body-centric communication is presented in this article. Initially, an electric field-driven LC metamaterial resonator inspired monopole antenna is developed that exhibits 122.19 % (1.28–5.30 GHz) bandwidth covering 2.4 GHz WLAN and 3.5 GHz WiMAX application bands. Thereafter, the MIMO antenna is proposed, and a pair of meander line structure as a wideband decoupling network is introduced on the ground plane to reduce the inter-element coupling. The proposed antenna holds a reduced mutual coupling and low envelope correlation coefficient over the wideband. To explain the wideband antenna response and its decoupling mechanism, a circuit model analysis is incorporated. Moreover, the proposed antenna demonstrates a robust performance under complex bending and crumpling conditions with an acceptable specific absorption rate (SAR <1.6) during the on-body conditions. Besides, a high data rate link-margin analysis makes the antenna suitable for wireless biotelemetry.

Keywords:

• Wearable MIMO
• Metamaterial inspired antenna
• mutual coupling suppression
• biotelemetry

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Center of Excellence on Wireless Communication of National Institute of Technology Meghalaya for assisting in the measurement process of the antenna.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Soumendu Ghosh

Soumendu Ghosh was born in Kolkata, India. He received M. Tech degree from the JIS College of Engineering, WBUT, Kalyani, in 2016, in Mobile Communication & Networking Technology. He is currently pursuing PhD from National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya. He has published a few numbers of research papers in reputed journal. His research interests include MIMO antenna, UWB antenna, wearable antenna, electromagnetic metasurface and so on.

Sourav Roy

Sourav Roy received M. Tech degree from National Institute of Technology, Agartala, India in department of Electronics and Communication Engineering. He has completed his PhD from National Institute of Technology, Silchar. He is currently working as an assistant professor in the department of ECE VIIT, Vishakhapatnam India. He is the author of more than 23 reputed journals and conferences. His research interest includes Metamaterial antenna, MIMO antenna, Wearable antenna, and so on.

Ujjal Chakraborty

Ujjal Chakraborty received B. Tech and M. Tech from the University of Burdwan and PhD from National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, India in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering. He is presently associated with the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering in National Institute of Technology, Silchar, Assam, India and holds the post of Assistant Professor. He has more than 14 years of teaching experience. Dr. Chakraborty has authored and co-authored more than fifty peer-reviewed scientific papers published in national and international journals and conferences. His research interest includes the Metamaterial antennas, Phased array antennas, Body wearable conformal antennas and MIMO antennas.

Abhishek Sarkhel

Abhishek Sarkhel (M'82) received his B. Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata, India, in 2006 and M. Tech in Communication Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, in 2009. He also received his PhD from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, India, in the year of 2018. Since 2013 he has been working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya, India. He has published a number of journal and conference articles. His current research interests include electromagnetic metasurface and microwave antennas.