Future Trends and Emerging Antenna Technologies in Biomedical Applications
摘要
The integration of antennas into biomedical applications has revolutionized wireless healthcare, enabling real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and treatment delivery. The final chapter of the book explores the current state of biomedical antenna technology, detailing established designs such as microstrip, PIFA, and dipole antennas commonly used in wearable medical imaging systems, implantable medical devices, and therapeutic applications. It then shifts focus to emerging trends and next-generation antenna technologies, including metamaterial-based structures, flexible and stretchable antennas, and miniaturized high-gain systems optimized for in-body and on-body communications. Promising research directions emphasize biocompatible materials, energy harvesting integration, and multifunctionality to support simultaneous sensing and communication. By envisioning the future of healthcare antennas, the study presents a roadmap toward intelligent, self-adaptive antenna systems capable of supporting AI-driven diagnostics and continuous patient care. Despite rapid progress, significant open research challenges remain, such as energy efficiency, wireless power transfer, ensuring long-term stability in harsh biological environments, achieving robust performance across diverse body types, developing universal standards for biomedical antenna evaluation, and the cost of manufacturing. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive outlook on the evolution of antenna technology in biomedical contexts and to inspire innovation toward the next frontier of wireless healthcare.