CONFORMAL, WEARABLE, THIN MICROWAVE ANTENNA FOR SUB-SKIN AND SKIN SURFACE MONITORING

• US 20140253397A1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Chang, John T., Duoss, Eric B., Converse, Mark C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,653,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/718
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

A wearable antenna is operably positioned on a wearer'"'"'s skin and is operably connected the wearer'"'"'s tissue. A first antenna matched to the wearer'"'"'s tissue is operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin. A second antenna matched to the air is operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin. Transmission lines connect the first antenna and the second antenna.

Claims

1. A wearable antenna apparatus operably positioned on a wearer'"'"'s skin and operably connected the wearer'"'"'s tissue, wherein the wearer'"'"'s skin is exposed to air, comprising:

a first antenna matched to the wearer'"'"'s tissue, said first antenna operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin;

a second antenna matched to the air, said second antenna operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin; and

transmission lines connecting said first antenna and second antenna.

2. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first antenna is operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin as a temporary or permanent tattoo, wherein said second antenna is operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin as a temporary or permanent tattoo, and wherein said transmission lines are operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin as a tattoo.

3. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a substrate operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin,

wherein said first antenna is on said substrate, wherein said second antenna is on said substrate, and wherein said transmission lines are on said substrate.

4. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first antenna on said substrate, said second antenna on said substrate, and said transmission lines on said substrate are co-planar.

5. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first antenna on said substrate, said second antenna on said substrate, and said transmission lines on said substrate are co-planar and are less than one millimeter thick.

6. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 wherein said substrate is a silicone substrate or other dielectric substrate.

7. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 wherein said substrate is a plastic substrate.

8. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 wherein said substrate is a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate.

9. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a third antenna.

10. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a third antenna and a circulator.

11. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first antenna matched to the wearer'"'"'s tissue is a planar dipole antenna printed onto a silicone substrate or a dielectric substrate.

12. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 wherein said second antenna matched to air is a planar dipole antenna printed onto a silicone substrate.

13. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a dielectric filler between said transmission lines.

14. The wearable antenna apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a high dielectric constant, low loss filler between said transmission lines that will allow lower impedances and focus more fields between said transmission lines.

15. A wearable antenna apparatus mounted on a wearer'"'"'s skin and operably connected a wearer'"'"'s tissue wherein the wearer'"'"'s skin is exposed to air, comprising:

a substrate adapted to be positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin;

a first antenna matched to the wearer'"'"'s tissue, said first antenna located on said substrate;

a second antenna matched to the air, said second antenna located on said substrate; and

transmission lines connecting said first antenna and second antenna, said transmission lines located on said substrate.

16. A wearable antenna apparatus operably positioned on a wearer'"'"'s skin and operably connected the wearer'"'"'s tissue, wherein the wearer'"'"'s skin is exposed to air, comprising:

a first antenna matched to the wearer'"'"'s tissue, said first antenna operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin as a temporary or permanent tattoo;

a second antenna matched to the air, said second antenna operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin as a temporary or permanent tattoo; and

transmission lines connecting said first antenna and second antenna, said transmission lines operably positioned on the wearer'"'"'s skin as a temporary or permanent tattoo.

17. A method of making a wearable antenna mounted on a wearer'"'"'s skin and operably connected a wearer'"'"'s tissue wherein the wearer'"'"'s skin is exposed to air, comprising the steps of:

providing a first antenna matched to the wearer'"'"'s tissue,

operably positioning said first antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin,

providing a second antenna matched to the air,

operably positioning said second antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin, and

providing transmission lines connecting said first antenna and second antenna.

18. The method of making a wearable antenna of claim 17 wherein said step of operably positioning said first antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin comprises applying a temporary or permanent tattoo said first antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin, wherein said step of operably positioning said second antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin comprises tattooing said second antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin, and wherein said step of providing transmission lines connecting said first antenna and second antenna comprises tattooing said transmission lines on the wearer'"'"'s ski connecting said first antenna and second antenna.

19. The method of making a wearable antenna of claim 17 wherein said step of operably positioning said first antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin comprises positioning said first antenna on a substrate and positioning said substrate on the wearer'"'"'s skin, wherein said step of operably positioning said second antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin comprises positioning said second antenna on said substrate and positioning said substrate on the wearer'"'"'s skin, and wherein said step of providing transmission lines connecting said first antenna and second antenna comprises positioning said transmission lines on said substrate and positioning said substrate on the wearer'"'"'s skin connecting said first antenna and second antenna.

20. The method of making a wearable antenna of claim 19 wherein said steps of positioning said first antenna on a substrate and positioning said substrate on the wearer'"'"'s skin, positioning said second antenna on the wearer'"'"'s skin comprises positioning said second antenna on said substrate and positioning said substrate on the wearer'"'"'s skin, and providing transmission lines connecting said first antenna and second antenna includes

positioning said first antenna and said second antenna and said transmission lines connecting said first antenna and second antenna co-planar on said substrate.

21. The method of making a wearable antenna of claim 17 further comprising the steps of providing a third antenna and a circulator and operably positioning said third antenna and said circulator on the wearer'"'"'s skin.