In-Body to On-Body Channel Characterization and Modeling Based on Heterogeneous Human Models at HBC-UWB Band

Abstract

In this work, the in-body to on-body (IB2OB) channel characteristics of the ultrawideband (UWB) link from 10 to 50 MHz at the human body communication (HBC) band are studied for developing high-speed and large-capacity intrabody wireless communication systems. Incorporating the time-domain finite integration technique (FIT) with three types of anatomical human models (adult male, adult female, and teenager) and a simple geometric human model with homogeneous or multilayer biological tissues, the 10–50-MHz signal propagation characteristics are investigated, and a comprehensive path loss model is proposed based on typical in-body links of the heart, brain, and intestine to the on-body sensor nodes. The statistical results show that a linear regulation term related to the surface wave propagation should be added to construct a more accurate logarithmic-distance path loss model in the sense of least-mean-square error (LMSE), indicating that the surface wave propagation mechanism can describe the 10–50-MHz signal propagation more accurately. The shadow fading in decibel is normally distributed around the mean path loss with a standard deviation in the range of 7–9 dB. And the average group delay of the IB2OB channel fluctuates around 0–7 ns, illustrating that the channel can be approximated as a linear phase response. Moreover, the experimental verification is conducted with a tissue-equivalent liquid phantom and an adult man, demonstrating the validity of our proposed statistical path loss model. The key parameters for channel characterization in simulations and measurements are summarized to provide useful insights for HBC-UWB communication system design and performance analysis.