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An eight-element conformal MIMO antenna for 5G-enabled Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) communications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2025

Suganyadevi Subramani Open the ORCID record for Suganyadevi Subramani [Opens in a new window]  and
Ramesh Subramaniam
Suganyadevi Subramani*
Affiliation:
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, SRM Valliammai Engineering College, Chennai, India
Ramesh Subramaniam
Affiliation:
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, SRM Valliammai Engineering College, Chennai, India
*
Corresponding author: Suganyadevi S; Email: suganyad89.ece@gmail.com
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Abstract

This paper presents the design and analysis of a conformal dual-band quasi-Yagi antenna tailored for Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and 5G-enabled Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) applications. The antenna is fabricated on a flexible polyimide substrate, ensuring mechanical conformability and stable performance on curved surfaces. The proposed design is based on a wedge-shaped quasi-Yagi radiator, incorporating a microstrip-to-slot transition for efficient excitation. The antenna features three pairs of wedge-shaped radiating arms and an arc-shaped director to enhance gain and directionality. Simulated results demonstrate dual-band operation at 2.45 and 3.4 GHz, with fractional bandwidths of 8.16% and 8.59%, respectively, and a reflection coefficient |S11| ≤ −10 dB. The design is further extended to an eight-element Multiple-Input Multiple-Output configuration, ensuring enhanced spatial diversity, low mutual coupling (<−15 dB), and improved gain (>5 dBi). The antenna’s performance is validated through simulations, demonstrating its suitability for real-time medical data transmission. With its compact size, high efficiency, and conformal nature, the proposed antenna effectively addresses the challenges of wearable IoMT and WBAN communication systems.

Keywords

5G communicationconformal antennadual-frequencyIoMTmulti-antenna system

Information

Type
Research Paper
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , First View , pp. 1 - 11
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with The European Microwave Association.

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