Analysis and fitting of a thorax path loss based on implantable galvanic coupling intra-body communication

Objective: The aim of this research was to study the channel transmission characteristics of living and dead animal bodies and signal path loss characteristics of implantable communication in the axial direction. Methods: By injecting fentanyl citrate injection solution, we kept the research object (a piglet) in a comatose state and then a death state, so as to analyze the channel characteristics in each state. To analyze channel gain when using an implantable device with a fixed implantation depth and varying the axial distance, we proposed an implantable two-way communication path loss model. Results: Comparing the living-body and dead-body results showed that the channel gain difference was approximately 10dB for the same position and distance, heartbeat, pulse and breathing of the living animal contributed approximately 1dB of noise. Analyzing the calculated and experimental results of the path loss model showed that the determination correlation coefficients of the model were 0.999 and 0.998, respectively. The model prediction result and the experimental verification result also agreed closely. Conclusion: The path loss model not only fits the experimental results but also has better predictabil-ity for those positions not measured. © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.