This dissertation explores the characteristics, nature, specifications, and potential of the Intra-body Communications technology, introducing novel approaches to accurately model it, with the goal of the research being to provide a platform for the design of body area networks that adopt IBC as a way to connect between the network’s nodes.
This paper reports on a research project that addresses a major barrier to the adoption of wearable technologies as part of a holistic approach to wellness in general and healthcare services in particular: the size and power requirements of wireless sensors that are typically dominated by the Radio Frequency (RF) section of the associated transceivers. The author of this thesis introduces novel approaches to accurately model Intra-body Communications (IBC) channels through stimulation techniques as well as physical ones, in form of physical phantoms, to understand and model the channel behavior and relation between the system’s different components. IBCs transmit data through the body rather than air, and sensors and actuators can then inter-communicate through the body and be relayed to a centralized wireless hub that could be a smart watch or some other similar device. This technique would ultimately lead to body area networks (BANs) that operate at extremely low power, with minimal footprint. The dissertation is organized into the following chapters: chapter one provides the introduction and literature review; chapter two provides discussion of the intrabody communications data carrier, with attention to magnetic human body communications, ultrasonic waves, electro magnetic waves, and attenuation; chapter three discusses human channel modeling, discussing the basic model blocks, IBC circuit model, bio-electrical parameters, considerations regarding skin and bone, and geometrical approximation; chapter four covers the electrode modeling, with discussion of single order model, double order model, and channel model variation with respect to electrodes parameters; chapter five discusses physical multi-layer phantom models, including oil and oil-kerosene phantoms, experimental setup and results, IBC channel sensitivity analysis, muscle tissue-mimicking materials (A1/TX-150), and IBC five-layer arm phantom model (IBCFAP); chapter six discusses applications based on IBC; and chapter seven provides the conclusion with suggestions for future work in this field.