IEEE AP-MTT Chapter Presents: In Vivo Wireless Body Communications: State-of-the- Art and Future Directions

"In Vivo Wireless Body Communications: State-of-the- Art and Future Directions" by Raed Shubair

Professor of Electrical Engineering

Visiting Scientist, Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE)

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Abstract:  The emerging in vivo communication and networking system is a prospective component in advancing healthcare delivery and empowering the development of new medical applications and services. Wireless in vivo communication creates a wirelessly networked cyber-physical system of embedded biocompatible devices and sensors.  The crucial element is modeling the in vivo wireless channel.  The ability to understand the characteristics of the in vivo channel is fundamental to achieve optimum processing and design effective WBANs inside the human body.  Precise in vivo channel models are required for high data rate communications.  The representation of the in vivo channel necessitates an overlap between the engineering and biological fields.  We discuss the characterization and modeling of the in vivo wireless channel and explain how it is different from other familiar wireless channels.  We also discuss how MIMO in vivo is utilized to significantly enhance the performance gain and data rates.  Based on our recent research findings, we identify the current research challenges and future research directions.  These include issues such as biocompatibility, antenna miniaturization, and nanoscale in vivo.

Bio:  Raed Shubair is a Professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of Khalifa University in UAE, which he joined in 1993. He is currently Visiting Scientist at MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE), Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.  He obtained his B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering in June 1989 from Kuwait University, Kuwait, and his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada in February 1993.  Dr. Shubair is an affiliate of University of Waterloo Center for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems and Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology.  His main research interests include antennas for medical applications, bio-electromagnetics, and wireless body area networks.  He is recipient of several awards including IEEE IIT’2004 Best Paper Award, ACES Society Service Award 2005, Electromagnetic Academy Award 2007, Teaching Excellence Award 2008, and Faculty Excellence Award 2010.  Dr. Shubair contributed to the establishment of two IEEE chapters in UAE: IEEE-UAE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT) Chapter, and IEEE-UAE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) Chapter.  He is a founding member of IEEE-UAE Signal Processing/Communications Joint Societies Chapter, which has recently received a special award from IEEE for being recognized as the IEEE’s most active international chapter in 2014.