Simplified circuit modeling and fabrication of intrabody communication devices

Abstract

Intrabody communication using the human body as the transmission medium enables wireless communication without emitting radio waves into the air. Empirical results on signal transmission gain in the frequency range from 1 to 1000 kHz have shown that the two-electrode model, in which only one of the two electrodes of the transmitter and receiver are attached to the human body, has greater gain than the four-electrode model, in which all four electrodes are attached to the human body. Calculated gains based on four-terminal circuit models of two different electrode arrangements agree with experimental results. The validity of the four-terminal circuit models in the MHz frequency band was investigated using a 10.7-MHz intrabody sine-wave transmitter and receiver fabricated for this purpose. The results also indicate that the two-electrode model is more suitable for high-speed intrabody communication devices than the four-electrode model.