Characteristics of a 2.4-GHz compact shorted patch antenna in close proximity to a lossy medium

Impedance and radiation characteristics of a 2.4-GHz compact shorted-patch antenna in close proximity to a lossy medium are investigated. In this study, a lossy medium with permittivity and conductivity close to those of a human torso or arm at 2.4 GHz is studied. The results obtained show that the antenna can still provide acceptable operating bandwidth (> 84 MHz covering the 2.4-GHz WLAN band) and efficiency (> 60%) when the antenna is placed very close (1-mm spacing only) to the lossy medium. The results indicate that the compact shorted-patch antenna studied is promising for application as a body-worn antenna on the body.