SBIR Phase I: Low Cost High Performance Fully Integrated Into MATLAB And Accessible FDTD Simulator of Wireless Body Area Networks (BANs)

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一个低成本，高性能，用户可访问的基于有限差分时域（FDTD）的无线体域网（BAN）模拟器，完全使用MATLAB软件包编写。该模拟器具有人体内部和周围电磁场的实时可视化，将用于培训下一代生物医学和电气工程师以及医学生。拟议的软件将给学生一个直观的感觉，电磁波的传播，波散射和吸收的材料结构，以及对信号的完整性，由于人体干扰的影响。 它还用于在无线医疗保健领域进行应用和基础研究。 该模拟器支持FDTD方法的数学基础和软件实现，以及现代宽带/超宽带通信和定位技术。它将由Neva电磁学有限责任公司（Neva EM）与伍斯特理工学院、密歇根州立大学和哈佛大学医学院合作开发。该模拟器的主要特点是为无线医疗保健中常用的小型线圈天线提供了一种新模型。该模型是基于FDTD偶极矩（DM）方法，一个简单而强大的技术最近在宾夕法尼亚州立大学开发。该项目更广泛的影响和商业潜力是通过可访问和高度可视化的MATLAB平台将BAN电磁建模工具过渡到更广泛的学者和工程师受众。在过去的十年中，无线传感器网络已经成为一个显示出巨大潜力的行业，刺激美国经济。当今传感器网络中最有前途的经济增长领域可能是无线医疗保健行业，包括无线BAN。开发的产品针对BAN中基本小天线源（小线圈和偶极天线）、各种脉冲形式和不同天线拓扑的接收信号强度（RSS）、到达时间（TOA）和到达方向（DOA）估计。该产品能够对多传感器网络和人体扫描天线阵列进行建模，这些网络和天线阵列会受到各个辐射器之间的互耦影响。包括一个大型库的高分辨率，逼真的身体网格导出到MATLAB。由于其灵活性，该产品还瞄准了潜在的二级商业和教育市场：身体佩戴天线，探地雷达，遥感应用和水下无线链路。开放源代码的I/O和参数识别MATLAB代码使定制仿真器成为可能，以满足学术界、工业界和政府潜在客户的独特需求。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a low-cost, high-performance, user-accessible Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) based simulator of wireless Body Area Networks (BANs), written entirely with the MATLAB software package. The simulator, with real-time visualization of electromagnetic fields in and around the human body, is to be used for training of the next generation of biomedical and electrical engineers, and medical students. The proposed software will give students an intuitive feel for electromagnetic wave propagation, wave scattering and absorption by material structures, and the effects on signal integrity due to human body interference. It is also intended for performing applied and fundamental research in the area of wireless healthcare. The simulator supports mathematical foundations and software implementations of the FDTD method, and modern broadband/ultrawideband communication and localization techniques. It will be developed by Neva Electromagnetics, LLC (Neva EM) in collaboration with Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Michigan State University, and Harvard University Medical School. The key feature of the simulator is a new model for small coil antennas, which are commonly used in wireless healthcare. This model is based on the FDTD Dipole Moment (DM) method, a simple and powerful technique recently developed at Pennsylvania State University. The broader impact and the commercial potential of this project is in transition of the BAN electromagnetic modeling tools to a much wider audience of scholars and engineers via the accessible and highly visual MATLAB platform. In the past decade, wireless sensor networks have emerged as an industry showing great potential to stimulate the US economy. The most promising area of economic growth in sensor networks today may be the wireless healthcare industry, including wireless BANs. The developed product targets Received Signal Strength (RSS), Time of Arrival (TOA), and Direction of Arrival (DOA) estimations for basic small antenna sources (small coil and dipole antennas) in BANs, various pulse forms, and different antenna topologies. The product is capable of modeling multi-sensor networks and body-scanning antenna arrays, which are subject to mutual coupling between individual radiators. A large library of high-resolution, realistic body meshes exported into MATLAB is included. Due to its flexibility, the product also targets potential secondary commercial and educational markets: body-worn antennas, ground-penetrating radar, remote sensing applications, and underwater wireless links. Open-source I/O and parameter identification MATLAB codes make it possible to customize the simulator to address the unique needs of potential customers from academia, industry, and government.