In the biomedical sector, wireless communication does not only concern data transmission. It can affect monitoring continuity, the reliability of the information collected, device autonomy and the user experience of the patient or healthcare operator.
IoMT devices, medical wearables, wearable sensors, remote monitoring systems, connected diagnostic equipment and rehabilitation robotics solutions often have to integrate the antenna in limited spaces, close to the human body and within products strongly constrained by comfort, usability, protection and mechanical integration requirements.
In these contexts, the antenna should not be considered a secondary component to be selected at the end of the project. It is part of the device’s RF architecture and can contribute to link stability, radio communication efficiency, energy consumption and the reliability of the transmitted data.
ElettroMagnetic Services Srl designs and manufactures custom antennas and tailor-made antenna systems for biomedical applications, IoMT, medical wearables, wireless medical devices, remote patient monitoring, connected diagnostics and rehabilitation robotics.
Custom biomedical antennas and antennas for wireless medical devices must be designed by considering, from the very beginning, the real device, the radio technology used, integration into the enclosure, proximity to the human body, the required autonomy and the actual conditions of use.
We do not supply complete medical devices, nor do we develop active electronics, radio modules, sensors, medical software or monitoring platforms. Our contribution concerns the antenna part: design, optimisation, manufacturing and characterisation of custom antennas and antenna systems intended to be integrated into the Customer’s RF devices.
The objective is to help the Customer develop an antenna solution that is consistent with the RF architecture, the final device, the intended method of use and the interaction with the human body.
Integrated antennas for wireless medical devices and IoMT
The Internet of Medical Things is transforming many biomedical devices into connected equipment, capable of collecting and transmitting data continuously or periodically.
IoMT antennas and custom IoMT antennas must therefore be developed as an integral part of the connected device, because antenna position, enclosure, electronics, battery, sensors and method of use can affect communication continuity and the reliability of the transmitted data.
In a wireless medical device, the antenna must operate inside a compact product, often wearable or portable, where the available space is limited and every mechanical choice can influence RF behaviour.
A wearable sensor, a remote monitoring device or connected diagnostic equipment may have very different requirements, but they share the same critical issue: the antenna must work inside the real device, not only as an isolated component.
Designing the antenna according to the final product reduces the risk that the device may work in the laboratory, but be less reliable under actual conditions of use.
The human body as part of the RF environment
One of the main criticalities in the biomedical sector is the proximity of the antenna to the human body.
The body is not a neutral element from an electromagnetic point of view. It can absorb, shield or modify the behaviour of the antenna, especially when the device is worn, kept in contact with the skin or used very close to the patient.
For this reason, in medical wearables, wearable sensors and remote monitoring devices, antenna design must consider the real method of use from the very beginning.
It is not enough to verify that the antenna works under ideal conditions. It is necessary to understand how it will behave when integrated into the final device and used close to the body, with variable orientations, postures and conditions of use.
A custom solution makes it possible to develop an antenna that is more consistent with the real use of the medical device, reducing uncertainty between nominal performance and actual behaviour.
Why a standard antenna may not be enough
A datasheet does not always describe how the antenna will behave in the actual conditions of use.
In the biomedical sector, the final device may have very strict constraints: limited available space, compact electronics, battery, sensors, ergonomic enclosure and the need to be used close to the human body.
Under these conditions, a standard antenna may appear adequate on paper, but not maintain the same RF behaviour once integrated into the final product.
The issue is not only choosing an antenna compatible with the required electrical specifications. The point is to understand whether that solution can work in the real device, in the available position and under the expected conditions of use.
A custom design makes it possible to address these aspects from the beginning, transforming the constraints of the biomedical device into concrete design criteria.
Miniaturised antennas for medical wearables and wearable devices
In medical wearables, the antenna often has to be integrated into very limited spaces, without compromising comfort, ergonomics and device autonomy.
Antennas for medical wearables and antennas for wearable sensors must maintain consistent RF performance even in the presence of reduced dimensions, plastic materials, batteries, compact electronics, patient movement and use close to or in contact with the human body.
Miniaturisation is not only a matter of dimensions. When the available space is limited, every choice related to antenna position, enclosure shape and proximity to the body can affect RF behaviour.
A wearable device may also be used in different ways: on the wrist, on the chest, in a pocket, in contact with the skin or under clothing. These conditions can modify the radio link and make communication less predictable if the antenna is not designed for real use.
A tailor-made design makes it possible to develop the antenna together with the device, seeking the correct balance between RF performance, dimensions, comfort and autonomy.
Antennas for remote patient monitoring
In remote patient monitoring systems, data continuity is an essential element.
Antennas for remote patient monitoring must contribute to the stability of the wireless link under real conditions of use, reducing the risk that device position, distance from the gateway, radio coverage or interaction with the body may compromise data transmission.
A device intended for remote monitoring must collect and transmit information reliably even outside controlled environments, in everyday conditions of use and with variable levels of radio coverage.
The device may be worn, carried in a pocket, placed close to the patient or used at home, in outpatient facilities or in healthcare structures. In all these scenarios, the position of use can influence the wireless link.
A non-optimised antenna can make the device more sensitive to the distance from the gateway, smartphone, router or cellular network, increasing the risk of missing data or intermittent communications.
Correct antenna design means contributing to communication reliability and data flow continuity, reducing the risk that monitoring may be affected by RF criticalities not considered during development.
Antennas for portable medical devices and connected diagnostics
Connected diagnostics and portable biomedical devices require compact, reliable wireless solutions integrated into the final product.
In this equipment, the antenna must coexist with measurement electronics, sensors, displays, batteries, enclosures, connectors and requirements for cleaning, robustness and ease of handling.
Inadequate RF design can generate link instability, reduced radio efficiency or the need for late mechanical modifications.
For this reason, in devices intended for clinical, outpatient or home environments, the antenna should be evaluated from the earliest stages of product definition, when position, enclosure, dimensions and integration with the other components can still be optimised.
Antennas for rehabilitation robotics and advanced biomedical systems
Rehabilitation robotics and advanced biomedical systems can integrate wearable devices, control units, sensors, actuators and wireless interfaces.
Antennas for rehabilitation robotics must be evaluated in the context of the real platform, where movement, mechanical structures, metal parts, power electronics, cabling and interaction with the patient can modify the behaviour of the wireless link.
In these systems, radio communication can be influenced by movement, mechanical structure, the presence of the patient’s body and proximity to other electronic components.
The antenna should therefore not be evaluated as an isolated component, but as part of a biomedical platform in which mechanics, usability and wireless communication must work coherently together.
A custom design makes it possible to develop an antenna solution that is better suited to the real system, reducing the risk of RF criticalities during testing, validation and operational use.
Miniaturisation, autonomy and data reliability
In the biomedical sector, miniaturisation, autonomy and data reliability are often connected.
Reducing the size of the device can penalise the space available for the antenna. At the same time, increasing autonomy requires efficient radio communication, capable of limiting repeated transmissions, link losses and unnecessary energy consumption.
Miniaturised medical antennas must therefore be developed by seeking a balance between available dimensions, RF efficiency, operating band, device autonomy, enclosure materials and behaviour close to the human body.
Data continuity, instead, requires stable communication under real conditions of use, not only in the laboratory.
A custom antenna makes it possible to address these aspects as parts of the same design problem, developing a solution that is more consistent with the performance, autonomy, comfort and reliability objectives required by the biomedical application.
From the biomedical requirement to the antenna solution
Every antenna project for the biomedical sector starts from the analysis of the application scenario.
ElettroMagnetic Services Srl evaluates together with the Customer the type of device, the radio technology used, the method of use, the available position for the antenna, the enclosure, the distance from the human body, the required autonomy and the expected operating conditions.
At this stage, the wireless technologies planned for the project are also considered, such as Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, NB-IoT, LTE-M, cellular networks, ISM technologies or proprietary solutions, always with reference only to the antenna part and its integration into the biomedical device.
From this analysis, a tailor-made antenna solution is developed through electromagnetic simulation, prototyping, optimisation on the real device, measurements and characterisation in an anechoic chamber.
This process makes it possible to transform biomedical constraints into design criteria, reducing the uncertainty between expected performance and real behaviour.
The advantage for the Customer
Involving ElettroMagnetic Services Srl in the design of custom antennas for biomedical, IoMT and wireless medical devices means addressing the RF part related to the antenna while design choices are still open.
This makes it possible to avoid standard antennas that are not optimised for the real device, reduce the risk of RF criticalities in the advanced stages of development and develop an antenna solution that is consistent with the RF architecture, the final product and the expected conditions of use.
It also means being able to verify the behaviour of the antenna or antenna system through measurements and characterisation in an anechoic chamber before delivery.
In wireless biomedical devices, the antenna is not a secondary component. It should be evaluated from the earliest stages of definition of the RF architecture and the final device, when position, enclosure, dimensions, autonomy and interaction with the human body can still be optimised.
Custom antennas for your wireless biomedical device
If you are developing a wireless biomedical device, an IoMT solution, a medical wearable, a wearable sensor, a remote monitoring system, connected diagnostic equipment or a rehabilitation robotics platform, ElettroMagnetic Services Srl can support you in developing the custom antenna best suited to your application.
Tell us about your project: radio technology, device, method of use, available position for the antenna, distance from the human body, required autonomy and expected RF performance are the starting point for designing an antenna solution that is truly consistent with your biomedical device.
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TECHNICAL INSIGHTS
TEP No.3 - Types and Design of Integrated Antennas for Wireless and IoT Applications
TEP No.4 - Integrated Antennas: Electrical Specifications on Datasheet and Measurements
TEP No.11 - Integrated Antennas: Engineering and Industrialization
