Dielectric Properties of Porcine Skin Tissue and In Vivo Testing of Implantable Antennas Using Pigs as Model Animals

The development of most medical systems depends on the accurate characterization of the dielectric properties [relative permittivity (ε_r) and conductivity (σ)] of biological tissues. The main objective of this study is to measure the dielectric properties of porcine skin tissue in the frequency range of 300 MHz-3 GHz. The skin samples were provided from three pigs of same age, sex, and breed. The measured data was similar to the dielectric properties of human skin tissue. A three-pole Cole-Cole model is also used to fit the dielectric properties as a function of frequency for future studies. To show porcine skin tissue may be used as a substitute for human skin, implantable antennas designed using human-skin electrical properties are fabricated. The antennas are surgically implanted into two porcine test subjects at the Mississippi State University (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, and return loss measurements are carried out. In vivo studies are performed over the course of two weeks to verify the proper vaibility of the antennas. Antenna measurements show that porcine and human skin tissues give similar responses.