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FDTD的无线体域网络(BANS)仿真器，完全使用MATLAB软件包编写。该模拟器具有人体内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。该软件将使学生直观地了解电磁波的传播、材料结构对电磁波的散射和吸收，以及人体干扰对信号完整性的影响。它还旨在执行无线医疗保健领域的应用和基础研究。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。该模拟器的关键功能是一种新的小线圈天线模型，这种天线通常用于无线医疗保健。该模型基于宾夕法尼亚州立大学最近开发的一种简单而强大的FDTD偶极矩(DM)方法。该项目更广泛的影响和商业潜力在于，BAN电磁建模工具通过易于访问和高度可视化的MatLab平台向更广泛的学者和工程师受众过渡。在过去的十年里，无线传感器网络已经成为一个显示出巨大潜力的行业，可以刺激美国经济。当今传感器网络中最有前景的经济增长领域可能是无线医疗行业，包括无线禁令。开发的产品针对基本小型天线源(小线圈和偶极天线)、各种脉冲形式和不同天线拓扑中的接收信号强度(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身体扫描天线阵列进行建模，这些网络和天线阵列受制于各个辐射体之间的相互耦合。包括一个大型的高分辨率、逼真的实体网格库，这些网格会导出到MatLab中。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连接。开源的I/O和参数识别MatLab代码使得定制模拟器成为可能，以满足来自学术界、工业界和政府的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.