Optimization of UHF RFID five-slotted patch tag design using PSO algorithm for biomedical sensing systems

In this paper, a new flexible wearable radio frequency identification (RFID) five-shaped slot patch tag placed on the human arm is designed for ultra-high frequency (UHF) healthcare sensing applications. The compact proposed tag consists of a patch structure provided with five shaped slot radiators and a flexible substrate, which minimize the human body’s impact on the antenna radiation performance. We have optimized our designed tag using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method with curve fitting within MATLAB to minimize antenna parameters to achieve a good return loss and an attractive radiation performance in the operating band. The PSO-optimized tag’s performance has been examined over the specific placement in some parts of the human body, such as wrist and chest, to evaluate the tag response and enable our tag antenna conception in wearable biomedical sensing applications. Finally, we have tested the robustness of this tag by evaluating its sensitivity as a function of the antenna radiator placement over the ground plane or by shaping the ground plane substrate for the tag’s position from the human body. Our numerical results show an optimal tag size with good matching features and promising read ranges near the human body.