Abstract
The present invention relates to a new on-body dual antiphase antenna design and a plurality of its modifications to better transmit a radio frequency signal into human or animal body, or receive a radio frequency signal from human or animal body. The antiphase transmission and/or reception is achieved by connecting each individual patch antenna to a 180 degrees microwave power splitter or to a 180 degrees microwave power combiner.
Claims
1. A dual antiphase antenna for radiofrequency signal transmission to a mammalian body or reception from a mammalian body comprising; at least two closely spaced identical antenna elements directly coupled to the body wherein an antenna element separation distance is on the order of one tenth of the wavelength and wherein the at least two closely spaced identical antenna elements are driven in antiphase with 180° phase shift, at least one of the two dual antiphase antenna is coupled to the body and connected to a transmitter, at least one of the two dual antiphase antenna is coupled to the body and connected to a receiver, and at least one pressure sensor is attached to the body.
2. A dual antiphase antenna of claim 1 wherein each identical antenna element further comprises; a patch antenna, wherein the patch antenna comprises a dielectric substrate comprising a first side and a second side and the first side comprises at least two surface patches and the second side comprises a ground plane, with a patch directly coupled to the body, each of at least two surface patches further comprises an opposite edge, a near edge and a probe feed for the patch antenna located on the opposite edges of the at least two patches.
3. A dual antiphase antenna of claim 2 wherein the probe feeds of the at least two surface patches are placed in echelon similar to a standard patch array design.
4. A dual antiphase antenna of claim 1 wherein each identical antenna element comprises a printed dipole antenna with a dipole directly coupled to the body.
5. A dual antiphase antenna of claim 1 wherein each identical antenna element comprises a printed loop antenna with a loop directly coupled to the body.
6. A dual antiphase antenna of claim 1 wherein each antenna element further comprises a lumped antenna-matched network.
7. The dual antiphase antenna of claim 1 further comprising a radiofrequency power meter for measuring a transmission coefficient between the at least two dual antiphase antennas as a function of frequency.
8. The dual antiphase antenna of claim 1 further comprising a vector network analyzer for measuring a transmission coefficient between the at least two dual antiphase antennas as a function of frequency.
9. A dual antiphase antenna for radiofrequency signal transmission to a mammalian body or reception from a mammalian body comprising: at least two closely spaced identical antenna elements directly coupled to the body, wherein an antenna element separation distance is on the order of one tenth of the wavelength and wherein the at least two closely spaced identical antenna elements are driven in antiphase with 180° phase shift, and each antenna element further comprises a lumped antenna-matched network.
10. A dual antiphase antenna for radiofrequency signal transmission to a mammalian body or reception from a mammalian body comprising: at least two closely spaced identical antenna elements directly coupled to the body, wherein an antenna element separation distance is on the order of one tenth of the wavelength and wherein the at least two closely spaced identical antenna elements are driven in antiphase with 180° phase shift, and each identical antenna element further comprises: a patch antenna, wherein the patch antenna comprises a dielectric substrate comprising a first side and a second side and the first side comprises at least two surface patches and the second side comprises a ground plane, with a patch directly coupled to the body, each of at least two surface patches further comprises an opposite edge, a near edge and a probe feed for the patch antenna located on the opposite edges of the at least two patches, and the probe feeds of the at least two surface patches are placed in echelon similar to a standard patch array design.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIGS. 1a-d are schematic representations of the preferred and further applications of the dual antiphase antenna.
(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a preferred configuration of the dual antiphase antenna with two impedance matching networks and a 180 degrees power splitter/combiner, which is further connected to a transmitter/receiver.
(3) FIGS. 3a and b is a schematic representation of a preferred configuration of the dual antiphase antenna with the probe feeds on the opposite sides of the top patches.
(4) FIGS. 4a and b is a schematic representation of a further configuration of the dual antiphase antenna with the probe feeds in echelon.
(5) FIGS. 5a and b is a schematic representation of a further configuration of the dual antiphase antenna with the probe feeds on the closest sides of the top patches.
(6) FIGS. 6a and b is a schematic representation of a preferred configuration of the dual antiphase antenna with the microstrip feeds on the opposite sides of the top patches.
(7) FIGS. 7a and b is a schematic representation of a further configuration of the dual antiphase antenna with the microstrip feeds in echelon.
(8) FIGS. 8a and b is a schematic representation of a further configuration of the dual antiphase antenna with the microstrip feeds on the closest sides of the top patches.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(9) FIG. 1a is a schematic representation of the preferred application of the dual antiphase antenna 20 receiving a wireless signal from an implanted sensor 21 to the dual antiphase antenna 20. The top 24 of dual antiphase antenna 20 is placed on or in close proximity to the epidermal layer 23 of a mammal 26 while the bottom 25 faces away from the epidural layer 23 of the mammal 26. This application is pertinent to communications with implanted body sensors, in particular with cardiac sensors, via a body area network.
(10) FIG. 1a includes a schematic representation of another application of the dual antiphase antenna 20 receiving a wireless signal from a smart pill 22 to the dual antiphase antenna 20. It is pertinent to gastroenterology telemetry with smart pills via a body area network.
(11) FIG. 1b is a schematic representation of another application of the dual antiphase antenna 20 wherein microwave propagation between two antiphase antennas 20 through upper or lower extremities is analyzed. It is pertinent to microwave imaging for bone density estimation.
(12) FIG. 1c is a schematic representation of another application of the dual antiphase antenna 20 wherein microwave antiphase antennas 20 are used for breast cancer imaging. It is pertinent to microwave breast cancer screening and detection.
(13) FIG. 1d is a schematic representation of another application of the dual antiphase antenna 20 showing microwave head imaging with dual antiphase antennas 20. It is pertinent to stroke and TBI (traumatic brain injury) detection.
(14) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a preferred configuration of the dual antiphase antenna 20 wherein the patch antenna feeds 3 and 4 are as far apart as possible. The dual antiphase antenna 20, with top 24 and bottom 25, is fed via a 180 degrees power splitter/combiner 10 connected to the antennas through two matching networks 11. The power splitter 10 is further connected to either transmitter or receiver 14. When using a printed circuit, the power splitter/combiner 10 and the two matching networks 11 may be combined together into one single block.
(15) FIG. 3a shows a top view schematic representation of a preferred configuration of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a probe feed. The dual antiphase antenna 20 is comprised of dielectric substrate 1 and two surface patches 2. FIG. 3b shows a side view schematic representation of a preferred configuration of the dual antiphase antenna 20 consisting of dielectric substrate 1, two surface patches 2, patch antenna feeds 3, 4, and a ground plane 5. The dielectric substrate 1 consists of a first side 27 and a second side 28. The two surface patches 2 are located the first side 27 of the dielectric substrate 1 and the ground plane is located on the second side 28 of the dielectric substrate 1. In this preferred configuration the feeds 3 and 4 are located close to the opposite edges of patches 2.
(16) FIG. 4a shows a top view schematic representation of a further configuration of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a probe feed comprised of dielectric substrate 1 and two surface patches 2. FIG. 4b shows a side view schematic representation of the dual antiphase antenna 20 consisting of dielectric substrate 1, two surface patches 2, patch antenna feeds 3, 4, and a ground plane 5. The feeds 3 and 4 are located in echelon, similar to the standard patch antenna array.
(17) FIG. 5a shows a top view schematic representation of a preferred configuration of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a probe feed consisting of dielectric substrate 1 and two surface patches 2. FIG. 5b shows a side view schematic representation of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a probe feed consisting of dielectric substrate 1, two surface patches 2, patch antenna feeds 3, 4, and a ground plane 5. The feeds are located close to the nearest edges of patches 2.
(18) FIG. 6a shows a top view schematic representation of a preferred configuration of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a microstrip feed. The dual antiphase antenna 20 consists of dielectric substrate 1 and two surface patches 2 and antenna feeds 15 and 16. FIG. 6b shows a side view schematic representation of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a microstrip feed consisting of dielectric substrate 1, two surface patches 2, antenna feeds 15, 16, and a ground plane 5. The feeds 15 and 16 are located close to the opposite edges of patches 2.
(19) FIG. 7a shows a schematic representation of a further configuration of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a microstrip feed. The dual antiphase antenna 20 consists of dielectric substrate 1, two surface patches 2, and patch antenna feeds 15 and 16. FIG. 7b is a side view schematic representation of dual antiphase antenna 20 with a microstrip feed consisting of dielectric substrate 1, two surface patches 2, and patch antenna feeds 15, 16, and a ground plane 5. The feeds 15 and 16 are located in echelon, similar to the standard patch antenna array.
(20) FIG. 8a shows a top view schematic representation of a further configuration of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a microstrip feed. The dual antiphase antenna 20 consists of dielectric substrate 1, two surface patches 2, and patch antenna feeds 15, 16. FIG. 8b shows a side view schematic representation of the dual antiphase antenna 20 with a microstrip feed consisting of dielectric substrate 1, two surface patches 2, and patch antenna feeds 15, 16, and a ground plane 5. The feeds 15 and 16 are located close to the nearest edges of patches 2.
