Experimental Analysis of a Quad-Band Antenna to Establish Wireless Intracranial Implant-to-Implant Communications

Abstract

Direct implant-to-implant (I2I) communication could allow multiple brain implants to coordinate sensing and extend coverage, but intracranial tissue severely attenuates RF signals. This motivates a robust quad-band antenna design for deep-tissue links. We designed a compact planar inverted-F antenna covering MedRadio (401-406 MHz), WMTS (1427-1432 MHz), and ISM (915 MHz and 2450 MHz) bands. Two prototype implants with this antenna were placed in a liquid head phantom. These experimental results confirm that intracranial I2I communication is feasible with the quad-band design. We demonstrate a novel wireless link between brain implants using a quad-band antenna, effectively extending coverage in deep neural tissue. This experimental validation of I2I communication paves the way for implant networks in the brain.