4984 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION, VOL. 64, NO.
12, DECEMBER 2016
Radiation From an Encapsulated Hertz Dipole
Implanted in a Human Torso Model
Dimitrios P. Chrissoulidis and Jean-Marc Laheurte
Abstract— Radiation from an encapsulated Hertz dipole,
eccentrically implanted in a layered spherical body, is determined
by use of the dyadic Green’s function (dGf) theory. The body,
a model of the human torso, comprises skin and fat layers around
a homogeneous tissue core. The capsule is a spherical cavity
bounded by an insulating layer. The dGf of this radiation problem
involves two reference points, the center of the body and the
center of the capsule. The analysis results in a concise formulation
of the dGf and of the main radiation quantities. Numerical results
are shown for the radiated power, efficiency, and directive gain of
the Hertz dipole versus the capsule displacement from the center
of the body. Specific absorption rate (SAR) maps are drawn on
two cross sections of the body in search of the entire distribution
of SAR and the location of peak SAR.
Index Terms— Active implant, encapsulated antenna, Green’s
function, nonspherical body, specific absorption rate (SAR).
I. I NTRODUCTION
T HE theory of Hertz dipole radiation dates back to
Sommerfeld [1] and it is found in every textbook on
antennas and electromagnetic waves [2]. Interest in that theory
has lately been renewed by Tai and Collin [3], who pointed out
that a Hertz dipole, if placed in an unbounded lossy medium,
must be fed with infinite power in order to maintain a finite
field at any distance. Hence, the need to place the dipole
in a lossless capsule to prevent it from “choking” by the
surrounding lossy medium.
This paper is aimed at providing physical insight into
the behavior of a Hertz dipole that radiates from within a
lossy body. Even though every antenna engineer is familiar
with the radiation features of a free-standing Hertz dipole,
electric (eHd) or magnetic (mHd), it is only vaguely known
how this mathematical, but reference, radiator would function
if placed in a lossy body. We provide a concise theoretical
formulation and indicative numerical results that apply to a
Hertz dipole placed in a layered, spherical capsule that is
implanted in a layered, spherical body. Our theory is based on
dyadic Green’s functions (dGf) [4]–[6] for radiation problems
that involve nonspherical bodies [7], i.e., bodies defined by
Manuscript received March 16, 2016; revised June 9, 2016; accepted
July 26, 2016. Date of publication October 26, 2016; date of current version
December 5, 2016.
D. P. Chrissoulidis is with the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki,
Greece (e-mail: dpchriss@auth.gr).
J.-M. Laheurte is with Université Paris-Est, ESYCOM (EA 2552),
UPEMLV, ESIEE-Paris, CNAM, F-77454 Marne-la-Vallée, France.
Color versions of one or more of the figures in this paper are available
online at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TAP.2016.2621027
0018-926X © 2016 IEEE. Personal use is permitted, but republication/redistribution requires IEEE permission.
See http://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/rights/index.html for more information.
Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
several spherical interfaces that may not be concentric. The
radiation problem treated in this paper lacks spherical, even
cylindrical symmetry, because the center of the capsule may
be displaced from the center of the body and the Hertz dipole
within the capsule may be oriented arbitrarily.
As there is strong interest in biological effects of elec-
tromagnetic waves and, consequently, in the compliance of
biotelemetry or communication devices to safety standards [8],
the theory of this paper is applied to a body that may serve as
simplified model of the human torso [5]. That body comprises
skin and fat layers around a homogeneous tissue core. The
capsule can be anywhere within the core. Electrical properties
are assigned to each part of the body by use of a well-
known database [9]. The capsule comprises a lossless core
that accommodates the dipole and a biocompatible cover
layer that provides mechanical strength. Despite the aforesaid
assumptions, the theory can be applied to any body that is
pertinent to the layered spheres model and the dGf can be
used for any small antenna that fits within the capsule.
Suggested reading on antennas in lossy materials may be
the book by King and Smith [10]. Simulations pertaining
to implanted antennas inside the human body are presented
in [11]. An analytical formulation that resembles our own has
been used in [12] for a lossless spherical capsule placed in
an unbounded lossy medium. Recently, the concentric spheres
model has been used [13], [14] and, inevitably, the capsule was
restricted to the center of the body. An encapsulated antenna
in close proximity to the outer surface of the body has not
been treated by analytical methods so far, to the best of our
knowledge. Hence, this paper carries new knowledge that may
be valuable to antenna designers.
This paper is organized as follows. The structure of the
model and the assumptions made are shown in Section II, the
dGf is developed in Section III, the electric-field intensity is
available from Section IV, radiation measures are formulated in
Section V, a couple of marginal cases are treated in Section VI,
and numerical results are presented in Section VII. The analy-
sis is accompanied by two appendices, to avoid overwhelming
the casual reader with details.
II. G EOMETRY AND C ONDITIONS
The radiation geometry is shown in Fig. 1: a point source,
placed at the center of a small, layered, spherical capsule,
radiates from within the core of a larger, layered sphere that
represents the human body. The core is homogeneous, but it
has the electrical properties of a mixture of muscle, bones,
CHRISSOULIDIS AND LAHEURTE: RADIATION FROM AN ENCAPSULATED HERTZ DIPOLE IMPLANTED 4985

and of the position vector r or r∗ of a source point. Ge(i) is

concisely formulated [4]–[6] as a sum of dyads
ki  (i)   
Ge(i) = j (i)
Fα,mn (r, r)Wα,mn r , r , i = 0, 1, 2
4π nm,α
k3  (3)   
Ge(3) = j F (3)
(r, r )Wα,mn r , r , r > r
4π nm,α α,mn
ki  (i)   
Ge(i) = j (i)
Fα,mn (r , r )Wα,mn r , r , i = 4, 5 (1)
4π nm,α

where n = 1, 2, . . ., m = −n, −n + 1, . . . , n − 1, n, and α =

(i) (1) (3) (ι)
M, N; Fα,mn (r1 , r2 ) = [Fα,mn (ki r1 ) Fα,mn (ki r2 )], FM,mn =
(ι) (ι) (ι)
Mmn , FN,mn = Nmn , ι = 1, 3, and the vector spherical
(ι) (ι) (i)
harmonics Mmn , Nmn are defined in [15]; Wα,mn (r1 , r2 ) =
Fig. 1. Vertical cross section of body and capsule (not in scale). A number [C(i)  (i)  T
α,mn (r1 ) Aα,mn (r2 )] − T is the transpose operator–and
(i) (i)
is used to refer to each part of space: 0 (free space), 1 (skin), 2 (fat), the vectors Aα,mn and Cα,mn , i = 0, 1, . . . , 5 are the “wave
3 (mixed-tissue core), 4 (lossless capsule core), and 5 (biocompatible capsule
cover). amplitudes.” The latter are dependent on the source position
(0)
and they are all unknown, presently, except for Cα,mn = 0
(4) (1) 
and Aα,mn = cmn Fα,−mn (k4 r∗ ); cmn = (−1) (2n + 1)/(n(n +
m
and organs. The two concentric spherical layers represent 1)) = c−mn .
skin and fat. The body is centered at the main origin of The aforesaid ten unknowns can be determined by enforce-
coordinates O. The capsule—a spherical cavity bounded by ment of the continuity of r̂ × Ge (boundary condition I) and
a rigid insulating spherical layer—isolates the source from the r̂ × ∇ × Ge (boundary condition II) across S1 , S2 , . . . , S5
body, which is lossy throughout, and it is placed anywhere (r̂ is a unit vector normal to a spherical interface), which is
in the core. The center O∗ of the capsule is at the tip of done as in [5]. The end-result is a set of ten linear equations
the displacement vector d. Thus, even though all interfaces for the unknown wave amplitudes. The first five correspond
are spherical the body-capsule ensemble is a dual-centered to boundary condition I and they are concisely written as
nonspherical structure. follows:
The exterior—denoted by the index 0 in Fig. 1—is free
(0)
space, wherein the wavenumber is k0 = ω(μ0 0 )(1/2) and Uα,n (x 01 )Wα,mn (r , r ) = Uα,n (x 11 )Wα,mn
(1)
(r , r )
the intrinsic impedance is Z 0 = (μ0 /0 )(1/2). Each part of the (1)
Uα,n (x 12 )Wα,mn (r , r ) = Uα,n (x 22 )Wα,mn
(2)
(r , r )
layered body and of the layered capsule is characterized by the (2)
Uα,n (x 23 )Wα,mn (r , r ) = Uα,n (x 33 )Wα,mn
(3)
(r , r − d)
wavenumber ki = ω(μ0 ˜i )(1/2) and the intrinsic impedance     
(4)
Z i = (μ0 /˜i )(1/2) , where i = 1, 2, . . . , 5; the tilde over i Uα,n (x 44 )Wα,mn r∗ , r∗ = Uα,n (x 54 )Wα,mn
(5)
r∗ , r∗
     
implies that the electric permittivity may be complex. The Uα,n (x 55)Wα,mn r∗ , r∗ = Uα,n (x 35 )Wα,mn r∗ + d, r∗
(5) (3)
(2)
external boundary of each part of the nonspherical structure is
(1) (3)
a spherical surface Si of radius ai , centered at Oi . According to where Uα,n (x ii  ) = [u α,n (x ii  ) u α,n (x ii  )], x ii  = ki ai  ,
Fig. 1 and the assumptions made above, O1 ≡ O2 ≡ O3 ≡ O, u (ι) (ι) (ι) (ι) (ι)
α,n (x) = x z α,n (x); z M,n (x) = z n (x) and z n (x) represents
O4 ≡ O5 ≡ O∗ , k4 = k0 , and d + a5 ≤ a3 . either the spherical Bessel function of the first kind jn (x),
A position vector r or r∗ can be used to reach a field if ι = 1, or the spherical Hankel function of the first kind
point, the origin of that vector being, as the notation implies, h (1) (ι) (ι)
n (x), if ι = 3 [16]; z N,n (x) = ηn (x) = [x z n (x)] /x is
(ι) 
O or O∗ . A primed vector r or r∗ , emanating from O or O∗ , (ι)
the Riccati function that corresponds to z n (x). The coupling
defines a position occupied by the source within the capsule. μν μν
coefficients Amn,ι , Bmn,ι of the translational addition theorem
The ensuing formulation requires two systems of spherical
for vector spherical harmonics [17] are used to “translate” the
coordinates, (O, r θ φ) and (O∗ , r∗ θ∗ φ∗ ), attached severally to
vector wave amplitudes in the third and fifth member of (2)
O and O∗ . Declination θ is measured from the z-axis clock-
wise in any meridian plane, whereas azimuth φ is measured  
A(3)  (3)
α,mn (r − d) = Aα,mn r∗
from the x-axis counterclockwise on the equatorial plane. The  
 μν (3)  μν
angles θ∗ and φ∗ are defined accordingly. Harmonic time = A(3)
α,μν (r )Amn,1 (−k 3 d) + Aβ,μν (r )Bmn,1 (−k 3 d)
dependence exp{− j ωt} is implied and suppressed throughout νμ
the analysis. Cα,mn (r∗
(3)
+ d) = C(3) 
α,mn (r )
    μν (3)    μν 
III. D ETERMINATION OF G REEN ’ S DYAD = C(3)
α,μν r∗ Amn,1 (k 3 d) + Cβ,μν r∗ Bmn,1 (k 3 d) . (3)
νμ
The electric dGf in the part of space denoted by the index
i = 0, 1, . . . , 5 is Ge(i) , a function of the position vector of a The type index β is the complement of α with respect to
field point, r or r∗ (depending on the origin of coordinates), the set of names {M, N}, e.g., if α = M, then β = N.

Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
4986 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION, VOL. 64, NO. 12, DECEMBER 2016

Five more equations are obtained from (2) by replace- The scalar wave amplitudes
(1) (3)
ment of Uα,n (x ii  ) by Vβ,n (x ii  ) = [v β,n (x ii  ) v β,n (x ii  )],   (13)
(ι) (ι) (ι)
where v β,n (x) = xu β,n (x) = x z β,n (x). Henceforth, the
2 A(0)
α,mn = Âαα  ,mn,m  n bI,α  ,n
n  m  ,α 
dependence of the wave amplitudes on the source position  (4)
may be suppressed for brevity. + Â(14)
αα  ,mn,m  n  bII,α ,n A α  ,m  n 
 

(1) (2) (5)   (43)

Elimination of Wα,mn , Wα,mn , and Wα,mn yields a set of (4)
Cα,mn = Âαα  ,mn,m  n bI,α  ,n
four linear equations and that set is recast in the matrix form n  m  ,α 
AX = B as follows: (44)  (4)
+ Âαα  ,mn,m  n bII,α  ,n Aα  ,m  n
⎡ ⎤ ⎡ (0) ⎤ ⎡ ⎤
A11 A12 A13 A14 (1)
A O A(4)
α,mn = cmn ê · Fα,−mn (k 4 0∗ ) (8)
⎢A21 A22 A23 A24 ⎥ ⎢C(3) ⎥ ⎢ O ⎥
⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎣A31 A32 A33 A34 ⎦ ⎣A(3) ⎦ = ⎣ BI ⎦. (4) are the projections of the corresponding vector wave ampli-
(i j ) (i j )
A41 A42 A43 A44 C(4) BII tudes on the orientation vector ê. Âαα  ,mn,m  n ≡ Âαα  ,ll  is any
element of A−1 and bI/II,α  ,n ≡ bI/II,α  ,l  (see Appendix A).
As the sum over n must be truncated, n is assigned the integers (4)
The scalar wave amplitude Aα,mn is given by
1, 2, . . . , n max and thus (4) incorporates 8L linear equations  
for 8L unknowns, where L = n max (n max + 2). The structure (4) j φe 1
Aα,mn = δαN δm,−1 sinθe e +δm0 cosθe − δm1 sinθe e − j φe
δn1
of (4) is deferred to Appendix A. The truncation number n max 2
is chosen by application of a convergence criterion, as said (9)
in Section VII-B.
where θe and φe are the angles that define the orientation
Evidently, X = A−1 B and the vector wave amplitudes
of ê in (O∗ , r∗ , θ∗ φ∗ ) or (O, r, θ φ). If excitation is provided
Aα,mn , C(3)
(0) (3) (4) (0)
α,mn , Aα,mn , and Cα,mn —that belong to A , C ,
(3)
by an mHd at O∗ (orientation ê, moment pm ), it suffices to
(3) (4)
A , and C —are available once A has been inverted. The replace pe by k0 pm in (7) and δαN by δαM in (9). Expansions
wave amplitudes A(i) (i)
α,mn , Cα,mn for i = 1, 2, 5 are determined similar to that of (7) can be written for the electric-field
through the matrix equations intensity in every other part of the nonspherical body.
(1) 1)0 (0)
Wα,mn = Tα,n Wα,mn
(2) 2)1 (1) 2))0 (0) V. R ADIATION M EASURES
Wα,mn = Tα,n Wα,mn = Tα,n Wα,mn
(5) 5(4 (4)
The apparent power radiated at infinity by the implanted
Wα,mn = Tα,n Wα,mn (5) Hertz dipole is obtained by integration of the Poynt-
∗
1)0 2)1 5(4 ing vector S(0) = (1/2)E(0) × H(0) —the asterisk ∗,
where Tα,n , Tα,n , and Tα,n are transfer matrices relevant to
if used as superscript, serves as the complex conju-
inward crossing of S1 , S2 , and outward crossing of S4 (see
2))0 2)1 1)0 gate operator—over  a spherical surface of infinite radius:
Appendix B); Tα,n = Tα,n Tα,n . Srad = lima→∞ S S(0) · r̂ ds. By use of the first mem-
 (ι) (ι )∗
ber of (7), the property S Fα,mn (kr) × Fα  ,m  n (k  r) ·
IV. D ETERMINATION OF THE E LECTRIC -F IELD I NTENSITY r̂ ds = (−1)δαN δαβ  δmm  δnn 4πa 2 ((n + m)!/(n − m)!)(n(n +
(ι) (ι)∗ 
The electric-field intensity in parts 0, 1, . . . , 5 of space is 1)/(2n + 1))/(2n + 1))z α,n (ka)z β,n (k a) of vector spheri-
obtained by integration over part 4—where the source has been (3)
cal harmonics, and the asymptotic expression z α,n (x) →
placed—of the corresponding Green’s dyad, dot multiplied (− j )n+δαM (e j x /x) that is valid as x → ∞, we arrive at the
from the right by the current density of the source following results for the active and reactive parts of Srad:
3  (n + m)! n(n + 1)  
E(i) = j ωμ0 Ge(i) (r, r ) · J(r )dv. (6) Prad = Pref  A(0) 2
α,mn
V4 2 nm,α
(n − m)! 2n + 1
An eHd at O∗ , having dipole moment pe = I l and ori- Q rad = 0. (10)
entation ê, is represented by the current density J(r∗ ) =
pe êδ(r∗ ) or J(r ) = pe êδ(r − d), depending on the origin Pref , the reference power, is the power radiated—as well
of coordinates which is convenient in each part of space. as delivered—by the aforesaid source in the absence of
body and capsule, i.e., a free-standing Hertz dipole. Thus,
Thus, E(0) = j ωμ0 pe ê · Ge(0)(r, r = d), whereas E(4) =
(4) Pref = (1/12π)Z 0 (k0 | pe |)2 or Pref = (1/12π)Z 0 (k02 | pm |)2 ,
j ωμ0 pe ê · Ge (r∗ , r∗ = 0∗ ), where 0∗ is a zero-length
if the source is severally an eHd or an mHd, but the condition
position vector attached to O∗ . By inspection of (1), we readily
pe = k0 pm ensures that both types of Hertz dipole radiate
obtain
equally in free space.
k02  The apparent delivered power—actually the complex power
E(0) = −Z 0 pe A(0) F(3) (k0 r)
4π nm,α α,mn α,mn fed into the implanted Hertz dipole—is obtained by integra-
∗
 tion of the Poynting vector S(4) = (1/2)E(4) × H(4) over
k2
E(4) = −Z 4 4 pe C (4) F(1) (k4 r∗ )  of infinitesimal radius centered at O∗ :
a spherical surface
4π nm,α α,mn α,mn Sdel = lima→0 S S(4) · r̂∗ ds. The second member of (7),
 (3)∗
+ A(4) (3)
α,mn Fα,mn (k 4 r∗ ) . (7) (1)
the asymptotic expression x 2 z α,n (x)z β,n (x) → ( j/(2n + 1))

Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
CHRISSOULIDIS AND LAHEURTE: RADIATION FROM AN ENCAPSULATED HERTZ DIPOLE IMPLANTED 4987

[(n + 1)δαN − nδαM ] that is valid as x → 0, and some algebra The well-known results G(θ, φ) = (3/2)sin2 θ and
yield the active and reactive parts of Sdel D = 3/2 [2] are obtained in the special case of a z-oriented
Pdel 3  (n + m)! n(n + 1) ∗ Hertz dipole, whereby θe = 0.
= 1 + Re C (4) A(4)
Pref 2 nm,α (n − m)! 2n + 1 α,mn α,mn
Q del 3  (n + m)! n(n + 1) (4) (4)∗ B. Capsule at Center of Body
= − Im (−1)δαN C A .
Pref 2 nm,α (n − m)! (2n + 1)2 α,mn α,mn As all spherical interfaces are concentric in that marginal
case, we obtain A(0) (4)
α,mn and Cα,mn by use of the self-verified
(11)
matrix equation
The efficiency of the implanted Hertz dipole is η = Prad /Pdel (0) 0···4 (4)
and the power absorbed by the body is Pabs = Pdel − Prad . Wα,mn = Tα,n Wα,mn
   0···4  (4)

Both (10) and (11) were obtained by tacitly assum- 0 τα,n,11 τα,n,12
0···4
Cα,mn
ing that the implanted Hertz dipole carries the same cur- ⇔ (0) = 0···4 (4)
(15)
Aα,mn τα,n,21 τα,n,22
0···4
Aα,mn
rent as the corresponding free-standing Hertz dipole. Thus,
Sdel = (1/2)|I |2 Z in and Pref = (1/2)|I |2 Rref , where 0···4 = T 0(1 T 1(2 T 2(3 T 3(5 T 5(4 . Because of (9),
wherein Tα,n α,n α,n α,n α,n α,n
Z in = Rin + j X in is the input impedance of the implanted Hertz
which applies to an eHd, the wave amplitudes that we need
dipole and Rref = 80π 2 l 2 /λ2 [2] is the input resistance of a
are given by
free-standing eHd having dipole moment pe = I l. Normalized
by Rref , the input impedance of the implanted Hertz dipole 0···4
detTN,1
is z in = Z in /Rref = Sdel /Pref . Hence, the normalized input A(0)
α,mn = A(4)
α,mn
τN,1,11
0···4
resistance is rin = Pdel /Pref , whereas the normalized input
reactance is x in = Q del /Pref . (4)
τN,1,12
0···4

The directive gain G(θ, φ) = (1/Prad )lima→∞ 4πa 2r̂ · Cα,mn =− A(4)
α,mn . (16)
τN,1,11
0···4
Re{S(0) } provides the directional distribution of the radiated
power in the far field. After some algebra, we arrive at the After some algebra, we arrive at the following results for
following result: the principal radiation measures of the encapsulated eHd:
3 Pref   (0)∗
 
G(θ, φ) =

(− j )n−n −1 A(0)  detT 0···4 2
Im α,mn A α  ,m  n  Prad  N,1 
2 Prad nm,α    =  0···4 
n m ,α Pref  τN,1,11 
(2−δαα ) 
×mn,m  n (θ )e j (m−m )φ . (12) Q rad
=0
The abbreviations Pref
 0···4 
(1) (1) (2) τN,1,12
mn,m  n (θ ) = mm  τmn
(1) (2)
(θ )τm  n (θ ) + τmn (θ )τm  n (θ ) Pdel
= 1 − Re
(2) (1) (2)  (1) (2) Pref τN,1,11
0···4
mn,m  n  (θ ) = mτmn (θ )τm  n  (θ ) + m τm  n  (θ )τmn (θ ) (13)
 0···4 
(1) Q del 1 τN,1,12
involve the generalized Legendre functions τmn (θ ) = = − Im . (17)
(2) τN,1,11
0···4
Pnm (cos θ )/ sin θ and τmn (θ ) = d Pnm (cos θ )/dθ ; Pref 3
Pnm (cos θ ) is the associated Legendre polynomial
The subscript N must be replaced by M for an
of degree n and order m [16]. By use of the
 π (2−δαα ) encapsulated mHd. Despite the presence of several layers
property 0 mn,mn  (θ ) sin θ dθ = δnn δαα  ((n + m)!/ around the source and because of spherical symmetry,
(n −
 π  2πm)!)(2n(n + 1)/(2n + 1)), it can be proven that (12) yields again the expression of (14) that applies to a
0 0 G(θ, φ) sin θ dθ dφ = 4π, which is true for any free-standing Hertz dipole. Hence, the directive gain of a
radiator [2], free-standing or implanted. The directivity Hertz dipole that is implanted at the center of a concentrically
D = max{G(θ, φ)} is obtained from (12) by numerical layered spherical body is identical to that of a free-standing
calculations. Hertz dipole. The same is, consequently, true for the
VI. M ARGINAL C ASES directivity.
If all layers around the source are fictitious, then
A. Free-Standing Hertz Dipole (0) (4) (4)
T 0···4 = I2 (see Appendix B) and Aα,mn ≡ Aα,mn , Cα,mn ≡ 0,
If the capsule cover and the surrounding body are absent, thus arriving again at the radiation measures that correspond
then A(0) (4) (4)
α,mn ≡ A α,mn , Cα,mn ≡ 0, and (10) and (11) yield to a free-standing Hertz dipole.
Prad = Pdel = Pref , Q rad = Q del = 0. Therefore, η = 1,
Pabs = 0, and rin = 1, x in = 0. Furthermore, (12) yields, after VII. N UMERICAL A PPLICATION
some algebra
 The numerical investigation is primarily aimed at a manifes-
3
G(θ, φ) = sin 2 θ + sin2 θe [cos2 θ − sin2 θ cos2 (φe − φ)] tation of the potentials of the theory developed above. Further-
2 more, we seek the optimum configuration (type, orientation,

1 and position) of the implanted Hertz dipole to obtain maximum
− sin2θe sin2θ cos(φe − φ) . (14)
2 radiated power or minimum exposure.

Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
4988 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION, VOL. 64, NO. 12, DECEMBER 2016

TABLE I
S IZE [5] AND P ROPERTIES [9], [13] OF B ODY AND C APSULE

Fig. 2. Radiated power versus capsule displacement from center of body.

Capsule on x-axis. Hertz dipole orientation ê = ẑ (parallel) or ê = x̂ (normal).
A. Size and Properties of Body and Capsule
Without loss in generality, we may consider the capsule on
the x-axis, at various depths beneath S3 . Thus, the coordinates
of O∗ in (O, r θ φ) are 0 ≤ r = d ≤ dmax = a3 − a5 ,
θ =  = 90°, and φ =  = 0°. Furthermore, we consider
a Hertz dipole, eHd or mHd, at the center of the capsule and
oriented as ê = x̂ or ê = ẑ. Thus, the dipole is normal or
parallel to S3 ; θe = 90°, φe = 0° for normal polarization,
whereas θe = 0°, φe = 0° for parallel polarization.
The size and (relative) permittivity of all parts of body—
adapted to an adult male—and capsule are shown in Table I.
The electric permittivity [9] corresponds to 2.4 GHz, nominal
frequency for several wireless devices. The core permittivity
has been calculated by the mixing formula ˜3 = v m ˜m +
v b ˜b + vl ˜l + v a ˜a , where v m = 0.5, v b = 0.2, vl = 0.14, and
v a = 0.16 are severally the fractional volume of muscle, bone,
lungs, and abdomen, according to a pertinent torso model [5].
By “bone” we actually refer to a mixture of bone (cancellous) Fig. 3. Efficiency of implanted Hertz dipole. Configuration of Fig. 2.
and marrow. The lungs are considered inflated. By “abdomen”
we refer to a mixture of several organs (e.g., stomach, liver,
spleen, kidneys, small intestines, and colon) and bodily fluids The independent variable in those plots is the displacement
(e.g., blood, bile, urine, and water). The capsule cover is a of O∗ from O, which spans the range [0, dmax ]. Both types
low-loss polymer (polypropylene) [13] and the capsule core is of Hertz dipole—eHd and mHd—are considered and the
a cavity (i.e., electrically identical to free space). condition pe = k0 pm ensures that those dipoles would radiate
The last column of Table I provides the mass density in the equally, if they were free-standing. However, once implanted,
various parts of space. Volumetric averaging, similar to that of an mHd radiates up to 13 dB more than an eHd. Placed near
the electric permittivity, has been applied to the mass density the surface, an implanted mHd, if properly oriented, radiates
of abdomen and core. just 1.45 dB less than a free-standing mHd.
The superiority of an implanted mHd over an implanted
B. Radiated Power and Efficiency Calculations eHd, as far as the radiated power is concerned, is partly due
The first step is taken by a convergence check of the to the difference in the apparent delivered power. The latter
radiated power. Successive calculations of Prad with increasing is, severally for eHd or mHd, Sdel = (6.16 − j 52.93) Pref or
truncation number manifest that convergence is achieved for Sdel = (111.05 − j 1.23) Pref , regardless of depth or orienta-
n max ≥ 15. However, other measures of radiation (e.g., the tion. The body imposes a capacitive load upon both types of
directive gain) may require even greater truncation number, implanted Hertz dipole.
which is why we chose n max = 20 for use throughout the The aforesaid values of Sdel manifest that the implanted eHd
numerical application, sometimes at the expense of computer faces a load—the lossy body—that is mainly reactive, whereas
time. the implanted mHd operates against a load that is practically
Figs. 2 and 3 display the effect of the body on the radiated active. An implanted eHd needs 10log10 (6.162 + 52.932)1/2 =
power and the efficiency of the implanted Hertz dipole. 17.3 dB more input power than a free-standing eHd in

Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
CHRISSOULIDIS AND LAHEURTE: RADIATION FROM AN ENCAPSULATED HERTZ DIPOLE IMPLANTED 4989

order to maintain the same current (i.e., dipole moment)

within the body. That excess input power requirement is
10log10 (111.052 + 1.232 )1/2 = 20.5 dB for an implanted
mHd. Hence, an implanted mHd needs 3.2 dB more input,
but radiates 13 dB more power, than an implanted eHd. The
actual superiority of mHd over eHd—both implanted at the
same position in the body, having the same orientation, and
fed the same power—is about 9.8 dB. Careful design of the
insulating layer may improve the margin between an implanted
mHd and an implanted eHd even further (15 dB margin is
reported in [13, Fig. 7] at 403.5 MHz by consideration of a
2 mm polyamide insulating layer around a spherical capsule—
radius 1 mm—placed at the center of a spherical head model).
However, a detailed optimization study is beyond the scope of
this paper.
The fact that Sdel is hardly sensitive to the position of the
capsule is symptomatic of high losses in the body: most of the
delivered power is absorbed by a thin layer of tissue around
the capsule. It is only when the capsule is brought to within
a few centimeters beneath the fat layer that Sdel shows some
sensitivity to depth.
Fig. 3 displays the efficiency η, which is actually Prad
normalized by Pdel . The superiority of mHd over eHd—a
well-known fact [12]–[14]—is evident at any depth and for
both polarizations. The efficiency is increased as the capsule
is displaced from the center of the body, the rate being slightly
greater for parallel, than normal, polarization. Yet, even when
the capsule is close to the surface of the body the efficiency of
the implanted mHd does not exceed −22 dB and that of the
implanted eHd is less than −31.8 dB. The radiated power is
less than 0.63% for the implanted mHd and less than 0.066%
for the implanted eHd. Thus, we conclude from Fig. 3 that
more than 99% of the delivered power is absorbed by the body Fig. 4. Directive gain—efficiency factor excluded—in E-plane (top) and
regardless of position, orientation, and type of the implanted H-plane (bottom) of implanted eHd (parallel polarization). Capsule either
Hertz dipole. beneath the fat layer (d = dmax ) on the x-axis (thick-line polar plots) or
at the center of the body (thin-line polar plots).
Our model can readily be adapted to the multilayered head
model of [13]. The capsule is at the center of the head and
excitation is provided by an eHd that radiates 0 dBm into the of the body that is nearest to the capsule, because there is
head at 403.5 MHz. The absorbed power determined by use less material to traverse, hence less absorption, on that side,
of our theory—referred to as the “dGf result” in Table II— compared to the opposite side. The E-plane pattern loses the
is practically identical to the corresponding result reported “back” lobe even if the capsule displacement d is as little
in [13, Table V] for polypropylene insulation. as 10% of dmax . Thus, radiation is concentrated in directions
that fall into the “front” lobe. The H -plane pattern is isotropic
C. Directive Gain Calculations at d = 0, but it gradually becomes one-sided, too, as the
displacement increases to d = dmax .
A feeling of how radiated power is oriented around the body
may be acquired in Fig. 4. The capsule is either at the center
of the body (d = 0) or just beneath the fat layer (d = dmax ) D. SAR Maps
on the x-axis. It accommodates an eHd oriented along the The specific absorption rate SAR = (σ/2ρ)|E|2 , measured
z-axis (parallel polarization). The directivity patterns corre- in watts per kilogram, is actually the dissipated power per unit
spond to the meridian plane through O∗ , i.e., the coordinate mass of the body [8]. The conductivity σ (S/m) and the den-
plane x Oz (E-plane), and the coordinate plane x Oy, which sity ρ (kg/m3 ) in every part of the body are given in Table I,
is the H -plane for this specific polarization. the density directly and the conductivity indirectly, through the
On the one hand, if the capsule is at the center of the relative permittivity ˜ and the formula σ = ω0 Im {˜ }, where
body, the directive gain is exactly that of a free-standing eHd, ω = 2π f , f = 2.4 × 109 Hz, and 0 = 8.854 × 10−12 F/m.
because of spherical symmetry. On the other hand, if the Specific absorption rate (SAR) maps are shown on the
capsule is brought near the surface of the body, the radiation meridian plane through O∗ (Fig. 5) for several displacements
pattern becomes one-sided. Radiation escapes from that side of the capsule along the x-axis. The source is a z-oriented eHd

Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
4990 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION, VOL. 64, NO. 12, DECEMBER 2016

TABLE II
M ULTILAYERED H EAD M ODEL (M ODEL 3) OF [13]—eHd
E XCITATION —C OMPARISON OF A BSORBED P OWER

TABLE III
SAR ON x -A XIS —C OMPARISON OF dGf AND CST R ESULTS

(left-hand column) or a z-oriented mHd (right-hand column),

both delivering 1 mW of active power into the body, i.e.,
Pdel = 0 dBm. If the capsule is far from the surface of the
body, the SAR map conforms to anyone’s expectation for the
field around a Hertz dipole in an unbounded homogeneous
medium. As the capsule approaches the surface, the distri-
bution of SAR is severely affected by the presence of that
boundary and, ultimately, energy is spread into the body by
whispering-gallery modes.
Even though the morphology of SAR maps does not depend
on the type of Hertz dipole, low SAR areas in any map
generated by an implanted mHd are clearly darker than in
the corresponding map generated by an implanted eHd. This
remark is compatible with the conclusion, inferred from Fig. 3,
that the implanted mHd gives rise to less overall absorption
than the implanted eHd.
The peak SAR is known to occur on the surface of the
capsule [13]. By zooming in on the capsule (Fig. 6), placed
beneath the layer of fat, we find the peak SAR either on the
poles or on the equatorial plane, severally for excitation by
eHd or mHd. Thus, the peak SAR is found as close as possible
to the source current. Even though a Hertz dipole is just a
point source, the tiny wire antenna, linear or loop, shown in
the capsule of Fig. 6 may support the aforesaid argument about
Fig. 5. SAR distribution on coordinate plane x Oz. The capsule—a tiny
white spot—is displaced along the x-axis. Excitation by eHd (left-hand
column) or mHd (right-hand column). The palette spans the SAR range
[−180, 0] dB re 1 W/kg.
the location of peak SAR. Regardless of the position of the
capsule within the body, our calculations yield peak SAR equal
to 1.07 dB re 1 W/kg (eHd) or −0.92 dB re 1 W/kg (mHd).
Hence, an implanted mHd is slightly safer than an implanted
eHd, as far as the peak SAR is concerned. The peak SAR
could be diminished by use of realistic antennas (e.g., a patch)
designed as proposed in [18].
Evaluation of the computer code used to calculate the
SAR was made by use of CST, a well-known, commercially
available, software [19]. We present an SAR map (Fig. 7) on
the x Oz plane which compares well with the corresponding

Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
CHRISSOULIDIS AND LAHEURTE: RADIATION FROM AN ENCAPSULATED HERTZ DIPOLE IMPLANTED 4991

Fig. 6. SAR distribution around the capsule in x Oz (top) and
x Oy (bottom) planes. Excitation by z-oriented eHd (left) or mHd (right).
Palette range [−57, 3] dB re 1 W/kg. Magenta shades correspond to SAR in
excess of −1.7dB re 1 W/kg.
VIII. C ONCLUSION
The dGf of this paper applies to a layered spherical capsule
that is implanted in a lossy layered spherical body. Analytical
results are given for Hertz dipoles, but any radiator that fits
into the capsule can be considered, as it suffices to use the
very same dGf and the current distribution that is specific
to that radiator. The analysis results in concise formulae for
the radiation features of implanted Hertz dipoles: the active
and reactive parts of the radiated and the delivered power,
the efficiency, the input impedance, the directive gain, and the
directivity. This method can be adapted to any body that is
defined by spherical boundaries (e.g., a sphere that contains
several spherical inclusions, an eccentrically stratified sphere,
and an aggregate of spheres).
The numerical application refers to a model of the human
torso and the numerical results provide physical insight
into the operation of Hertz dipoles within the human body.
An mHd beneath, and parallel to, the surface of the body
is the best choice of Hertz dipole in order to extract some
radiation from within the lossy body. The delivered power is,
because of high losses, hardly sensitive to depth. Less
than 1% of the power fed into dipole escapes from the body.
The SAR maps manifest that energy is mainly dissipated in the
vicinity of the capsule. An mHd is better than an eHd for the
containment of average and peak SAR. A realistic model of
the human body requires use of numerical methods, but our
findings would not be affected drastically by more anatomical
reality because radiation is mainly absorbed near the capsule.

A PPENDIX A
Each element of X = [A(0) C(3) A(3) C(4) ]T is a
column of 2L elements, e.g., A(0) = [A(0) (0) T
M AN ] and
(0) (0) (0) (0) T
Aα = [Aα,1 Aα,2 . . . Aα,L ] . The column B =
[O O BI BII ]T is structured likewise: O is a column of
2L zeros, whereas BI/II = [BI/II,M BI/II,N ]T and BI/II,α =
(4) (4) (4)
[bI/II,α,1 Aα,1 bI/II,α,2 Aα,2 . . . bI/II,α,L Aα,L ]T , where
Fig. 7. SAR map produced by CST. Corresponds to bottom-left SAR map
bI,α,l = u (1) (3)
5(4 5(4
α,n (x 55 )τα,n,12 + u α,n (x 55 )τα,n,22
of Fig. 5.

(1) 5(4 (3) 5(4

SAR map of Fig. 5 (bottom-left). The investment made in bII,α,l = v β,n (x 55 )τα,n,12 + v β,n (x 55)τα,n,22 . (18)
the development of the dGf is justified by the fact that our The element Ai j in the i th row and the j th column
computer code—written in Fortran—requires 15 CPU time of A—i, j = 1, 2, 3, 4—is itself a 2 × 2 matrix, that is
on a laptop computer (single Intel i5 processor at 2.4 GHz)  (i j ) (i j ) 
and just 0.6 GB RAM to produce each of the maps in AMM AMN
Ai j = (i j ) (i j )
(19)
Fig. 5, whereas CST, by use of a time-domain finite-integration ANM ANN
technique, requires 12 h CPU time on a desktop computer
(double Intel Xeon X5690 processor at 3.47 GHz) and about and each element of the latter is an L × L matrix, com-
(i j )
60 GB, out of 98 GB available, RAM to calculate the map posed of the elements Aαα  ,ll  , wherein α, α  = M, N and
of Fig. 7. The CST map lacks the detailed structure present l = n(n + 1) + m, l  = n  (n  + 1) + m  . Both l, l  span [1, L] as
in the dGf map, probably because of insufficient discretization n, n  span [1, n max ], m spans [−n, n], and m  spans [−n  , n  ].
(0.25 mm in the vicinity of the capsule and 2.5 mm elsewhere). The nonzero elements of A are
 (1) 2))0 
Finer mesh, hence more CPU time and eventually access to A(11) 2))0 (3)
αα,ll  = −δll u α,n (x 23 )τα,n,12 + u α,n (x 23 )τα,n,22

the hard disk, may be required by CST to reproduce the (12)
orderly structure that is associated with whispering-gallery Aαα,ll  = δll  u (1)
α,n (x 33 )
 
modes beneath the fat layer. According to Table III, CST and A(13) (3)
αα,ll  = u α,n (x 33 )Amn,1 (−k 3 d)
mn
dGf results are nearly equal close to the capsule, but they differ  
in low-SAR regions. A(13) (3)
αβ,ll  = u α,n (x 33 )Bmn,1 (−k 3 d)
mn
(20)

Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
4992 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ANTENNAS AND PROPAGATION, VOL. 64, NO. 12, DECEMBER 2016

in the first row and [12] A. Karlsson, “Physical limitations of antennas in a lossy medium,” IEEE
Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 52, no. 8, pp. 2027–2033, Aug. 2004.
(32) m  n
Aαα,ll  = u (1)
α,n (x 35 )Amn,1 (k 3 d) [13] F. Merli, B. Fuchs, J. R. Mosig, and A. K. Skrivervik, “The effect
  of insulating layers on the performance of implanted antennas,” IEEE
A(32)
αβ,ll  = u (1)
α,n (x 35 )Bmn,1 (k 3 d)
mn Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 21–31, Jan. 2011.
[14] M. Manteghi and A. A. Y. Ibraheem, “On the study of the near-fields
(33)
Aαα,ll  = δll  u (3)
α,n (x 35 ) of electric and magnetic small antennas in lossy media,” IEEE Trans.
 5(4 
Antennas Propag., vol. 62, no. 12, pp. 6491–6495, Dec. 2014.
A(34)
αα,ll  = −δll  u (1) 5(4 (3)
α,n (x 55 )τα,n,11 + u α,n (x 55 )τα,n,21 (21) [15] P. Morse and H. Feshbach, Methods of Theoretical Physics, Part II.
New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill, 1953.
in the third row. The nonzero elements in the second and fourth [16] M. Abramowitz and I. A. Stegun, Handbook of Mathematical Functions.
New York, NY, USA: Dover, 1972.
rows can be obtained from the corresponding elements of the [17] Y.-L. Xu, “Efficient evaluation of vector translation coefficients in
(ι)
first and third rows, respectively, by replacement of u α,n (x) multiparticle light-scattering theories,” J. Comput. Phys., vol. 139, no. 1,
(ι)
by v β,n (x). pp. 137–165, Jan. 1998.
[18] J. Trajkovikj and A. K. Skrivervik, “Diminishing SAR for wear-
The matrix A−1 has the same structure as A. Thus, A−1 is able UHF antennas,” IEEE Antennas Wireless Propag. Lett., vol. 14,
a 4 × 4 matrix composed of Âi j (i, j = 1, 2, 3, 4), Âi j is a pp. 1530–1533, 2015.
(i j ) (i j ) [19] CST MWS: Computer Simulation Technology Microwave Studio, Com-
2 × 2 matrix composed of Âαα  (α, α  = M, N), and Âαα  is puter Simulation Technology, Inc., Framingham, MA, 2010.
(i j )
an L × L matrix composed of Âαα  ,ll  (l, l  = 1, 2, . . . , L).

A PPENDIX B
Let S be a spherical surface that separates two homogeneous
media, represented by the wavenumbers ko (outside) and
ki (inside). Inward crossing of S involves the transfer
i)o
matrix Tα,n , defined in [5, Appendix B]. It can easily be
o(i
verified that the transfer matrix Tα,n pertaining to the outward
i)o −1
crossing of S is actually (Tα,n ) , as expected. The super-
script i )o or o(i , if read from right to left, indicates the sense
of the crossing through S. In the trivial case ko =  ki both
o(i i)o
Tα,n and Tα,n are equal to the identity matrix I2 = 10 01 .
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
D. P. Chrissoulidis would like to thank the University of
Paris-Est Marne-La-Vallée for supporting this research work
and N. Kantartzis for helping with the CST simulation.
R EFERENCES
[1] A. Sommerfeld, “Über die ausbreitung der wellen in der drahtlosen
telegraphie,” Ann. Phys., vol. 333, no. 4, pp. 665–756, 1909.
[2] J. A. Kong, Electromagnetic Wave Theory. New York, NY, USA: Wiley,
1986.
[3] C. T. Tai and R. E. Collin, “Radiation of a Hertzian dipole immersed in
a dissipative medium,” IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag., vol. 48, no. 10,
pp. 1501–1506, Oct. 2000.
[4] C. T. Tai, Dyadic Green Functions in Electromagnetic Theory, 2nd ed.
New York, NY, USA: IEEE Press, 1993.
[5] D. P. Chrissoulidis and J.-M. Laheurte, “Dyadic Green’s function of a
nonspherical model of the human torso,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory
Techn., vol. 62, no. 6, pp. 1265–1274, Jun. 2014.
[6] A. P. Moneda and D. P. Chrissoulidis, “Dyadic Green’s function of
a sphere with an eccentric spherical inclusion,” J. Opt. Soc. Amer. A,
vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 1695–1703, 2007.
[7] M. I. Mishchenko, J. W. Hovenier, and L. D. Travis, Light Scattering
by Nonspherical Particles. New York, NY, USA: Academic, 2000.
[8] O. P. Gandhi, Biological Effects and medical Applications of
Electromagnetic Energy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA: Prentice-Hall,
1990.
[9] C. Gabriel, “Compilation of the dielectric properties of body tissues at
RF and microwave frequencies,” RFR Div., Brooks AFB, San Antonio,
TX, USA, Final Tech. Rep. AL/OE-TR-1996-0037, Jun. 1996.
[10] R. W. P. King and G. S. Smith, Antennas in Matter. Cambridge, MA,
USA: MIT Press, 1981.
[11] J. Kim and Y. Rahmat-Samii, “Implanted antennas inside a human
body: Simulations, designs, and characterizations,” IEEE Trans. Microw.
Theory Techn., vol. 52, no. 8, pp. 1934–1943, Aug. 2004.
Dimitrios P. Chrissoulidis was born in
Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1956. He received
the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the Faculty of
Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
(AUTh), Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1979 and 1984,
respectively.
From 1988 to 1989, he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow
of the Environmental Surveillance Technology
Program with the Royal Norwegian Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research, Kjeller, Norway.
He is a Professor of telecommunications with the
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE Dept.), AUTh.
He has supervised six Ph.D. students. He has authored or co-authored 80
journal and conference papers, as well as three books. His current research
interests include scattering, diffraction, and propagation of electromagnetic
or acoustic waves, radar meteorology, and antenna-body interactions.
Dr. Chrissoulidis is a member of URSI-F and of the Technical Chamber
of Greece. From 2000 to 2005, he was a Board Member of the National
Regulatory Commission of Greece for Telecommunication and Post (EETT)
and from 2009 to 2010, he was the Chairman of the ECE Dept., AUTh.
Jean-Marc Laheurte received the M.Sc. and
Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and the
Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches degree from
the University of Nice, Nice, France, in 1989, 1992,
and 1997, respectively.
From 1989 to 1990, he was a Research Assistant
with the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne,
Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1992, he was a
Post-Doctoral Researcher with the University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. From 1993 to 2002,
he was an Associate Professor with the University
of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice. From 2007 to 2011, he was in charge of
the Antenna Group, ESYCOM Laboratory, and the Head of the Gaspard
Monge Institute, both in Champs sur Marne, France. In 2012, he spent one
year as an RF Senior Engineer with Tagsys, La Ciotat, France. Since 2002,
he has been a Professor with the University of Paris-Est Marne-La-Vallée,
Champs sur Marne, France. Since 2014, he has been the Director of the
ESYCOM Laboratory (70 members). He has organized several courses
in various European institutions in the frame of the European School of
Antennas. He has authored or co-authored two books, 70 technical papers
in international journals, and over 90 conference papers. He holds two
patents on RFID technologies. His current research interests include the
design and evaluation of diversity antennas for indoor communications,
RF identification systems, boundary area network (BAN) antennas, and
BAN channel modeling.

Authorized licensed use limited to: VIT University. Downloaded on December 22,2023 at 08:31:57 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.