Textile-Integrated Phased Surfaces for Wireless Networking of Bioelectronic Devices

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Wireless networking of bioelectronic devices holds immense potential for physiological sensing and modulation. However, the human body presents formidable challenges to achieving efficient wireless communication due to signal obstruction, absorption, and reflection. In this article, we propose a textile-integrated side-fed phased surface to overcome these challenges and enable efficient networking between wearable and implantable bioelectronic devices. The planar phased surface design with side-fed configuration allows for seamless integration with textile spoof surface plasmon (SSP) networks on clothing to effectively direct wireless signals from wearables toward the implants, thereby overcoming the limitations associated with conventional methods. We describe the procedure for designing the textile-integrated phased surface for operation in the 2.4–2.5-GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band and validate its functionality by full-wave simulations and experimental measurements. Using an adult pig, we experimentally demonstrate a 35-dB enhancement of wearable-to-implant wireless transmission at a depth of 3 cm and a distance of 25 cm. These results highlight the potential of clothing to exploit textile-integrated microwave devices to enhance the integration of technology into daily life.