WAVEGUIDE

• US 20110160542A1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Seoul Industry Cooperation Foundation (The University of Seoul)
• Original Assignee: University of Seoul Industry Cooperation Foundation (The University of Seoul)
• Inventors: AHN, Doyeol
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02444 Details of sensor A61B5/02427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/00 Waveguides; Transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3233 particular used as part of a sensor or in a security system, e.g. for automotive radar, navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/00 Devices for reflection, refraction, diffraction or polarisation of waves radiated from an antenna, e.g. quasi-optical devices variable for purpose of altering directivity H01Q3/00; arrangements of such devices for guiding waves H01P3/20; variable for purpose of modulation H03C7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0086 said selective devices having materials with a synthesized negative refractive index, e.g. metamaterials or left-handed materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/02 Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/04 comprising wave-guiding channel or channels bounded by effective conductive surfaces substantially perpendicular to the electric vector of the wave, e.g. parallel-plate waveguide lens
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas

Abstract

A waveguide receives a wave transmitted from an external power source and to guide the wave to reach within a width of a rectenna. The waveguide may include a negative refractive index medium and/or a surface plasmon medium.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a waveguide configured to receive a wave transmitted from an external power source and to guide the wave to reach within a width of a rectenna.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises a negative refractive index medium to refract the wave to reach within the width of the rectenna.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the negative refractive index medium comprises a metamaterial.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the metamaterial comprises a two-dimensional array of repeated unit cells of copper strips and split ring resonators on interlocking strips of standard circuit board material.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the metamaterial comprises a quantum metamaterial having a manipulated chemical composition and/or a structure of a material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises a surface plasmon medium to generate a surface plasmon resonance.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the surface plasmon medium comprises two or more components and one or more dielectric components interposed between the two or more components,

wherein each of the two or more components is composed of a surface plasmon material and each of the one or more dielectric components is composed of a dielectric material, and

wherein a permittivity of the two or more components is greater than a permittivity of the one or more dielectric components.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the surface plasmon material comprises Au, Ag, Cu, Ti, Cr or an alloy thereof, and wherein the dielectric material comprises air or silicon dioxide.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the surface plasmon medium comprises at least two components being spaced from one another, each component being composed of a surface plasmon material, and

wherein the rectenna comprises a rectifier part positioned under the waveguide and at least one antenna part protruding from a part of the rectifier part such that the antenna part is located between the at least two components, and wherein the at least one antenna part is composed of a dielectric material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises both a negative refractive index medium to refract the wave and a surface plasmon medium to generate a surface plasmon resonance.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rectenna is positioned under the waveguide.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the width of the rectenna is smaller than a width of the waveguide.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the width of the rectenna is about 0.5 nm to 300 mm.

9. The apparatus of clam 6, wherein the surface plasmon medium comprises a loop-wire structure, the loop-wire structure comprises a plurality of wire elements, and each wire element comprises at least one vertical wire with at least one planar loop wound at intervals.

15. A health monitoring system comprising:

a detection device configured to detect a health status of a creature;

a waveguide configured to receive a wave transmitted from an external power source and to guide the wave to reach within a width of a rectenna;

the rectenna, positioned under the waveguide, configured to receive and to rectify the guided wave to generate an electric power to drive the detection device; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the detected health status to an external device.

16. The health monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the detection device comprises at least one of a chemosensor and a biosensor to sense the health status.

17. The health monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the health monitoring system is inserted into a body of the creature or attached on an outer surface of the creature.

18. The health monitoring system of claim 15, wherein the external device comprises a monitor to display the detected health status.