Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) are transforming smart healthcare by enabling real-time physiological monitoring through wearable devices. A critical component in WBAN systems is the antenna, which must be compact, lightweight, and body-conformal while maintaining reliable communication. Traditional antenna designs often struggle with limitations in size, bandwidth, and radiation efficiency, especially in body-centric environments. To overcome these challenges, this study presents the design and simulation of a compact spiral antenna operating at the 2.4 GHz ISM band, optimized for WBAN applications. The proposed antenna uses an Archimedean spiral structure printed on a low-loss dielectric substrate, enabling miniaturization without sacrificing performance. The antenna was modelled and analyzed using ANSYS HFSS and CST Microwave Studio under both free space and body-proximity conditions. Key performance metrics—such as return loss, voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), and radiation patterns—were thoroughly evaluated. Simulation results show a return loss better than –18 dB at 2.45 GHz and a VSWR below 1.5 across the ISM band, indicating excellent impedance matching. The antenna exhibits a quasi-omnidirectional radiation pattern and stable gain suitable for wearable operation. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) analysis confirms that the antenna complies with IEEE safety standards. These results validate its suitability for safe human-body integration. With its compact size, high efficiency, and SAR compliance, the proposed design is well suited for next generation wearable healthcare and medical telemetry systems.
Balaji et al. (Sat,) studied this question.