A UWB Antenna for Wireless Body Area Network and its Characteristics Analysis

A newly designed small, almost square shaped Ultra Wideband antenna is presented in this paper. Free space simulations provided promising results with a wider bandwidth and high efficiency up to 97.68% within the UWB range. The antenna was intended for Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) application. To verify its human on-body performance, a 3D human torso phantom was created and re-simulated the results by placing the antenna in its near field. To determine the effects of the presence of the human body, further distance-based studies were done by placing the antenna in five different distances from the torso phantom. The results were compared with each other and with free space simulations to determine how the distance influences its behaviors. Highest gain was recorded while the antenna was placed on 4mm and above with maximum value of 8.13dB. The results were summarized in terms of antenna parameters such as return loss, voltage standing wave ratio, farfield and 2D radiation patterns, efficiency, and gains. The antenna shows operability in wide frequency range within the UWB spectrum with optimistic gain values.