Modeling In vivo Wireless Path Loss

TL;DR

This paper measures and compares in vivo wireless path loss at 2.4GHz with free space, revealing rapid signal attenuation and fluctuations caused by human body inhomogeneity and antenna effects, advancing in vivo channel modeling.

Contribution

It provides the first in vivo path loss measurements at 2.4GHz and analyzes the effects of human body inhomogeneity and antenna characteristics on signal propagation.

Findings

Path loss is more rapid inside the body than outside.

Inhomogeneity causes fluctuations in path loss.

Antenna effects significantly influence received signal strength.

Abstract

Our long-term research goal is to model the in vivo wireless channel. As a first step towards this goal, in this paper we performed in vivo path loss measurements at 2.4GHz and make a comparison with free space path loss. We calculate the path loss by using the electric field radiated by a Hertzian-Dipole located inside the abdominal cavity. The simulations quantify and confirm that the path loss falls more rapidly inside the body than outside the body. We also observe fluctuations of the path loss caused by the inhomogeneity of the human body. In comparison with the path loss measured with monopole antennas, we conclude that the significant variations in Received Signal Strength is caused by both the angular dependent path loss and the significantly modified in vivo antenna effects.