Wireless power transfer to a pacemaker by using metamaterials and Yagi-Uda antenna concept

Wireless power transfer (WPT) to medical implants allows clinicians to avoid using bulky energy storage components. In this paper, we address WPT systems for a pacemaker (PM). A resonant inductive coupling method was employed in the WPT system by introducing a spiral transmitter (Tx) coil and a spiral receiver (Rx) coil. Here, we introduced the concept of the Yagi-Uda antenna by using metamaterials (MTMs) in order to increase WPT efficiency in the Medical Implanted Communication Service (MICS). Based on the simulation results in a realistic model of the human body, we were able to design a compact and efficient WPT system for PMs. Moreover, our simulation results showed that the Yagi-Uda antenna configuration can significantly increase WPT efficiency.