This work presents the results of the characterization of two 1 × 5 mm² miniaturized rectennas developed for medical applications. They have been designed for relatively high voltage and high-power applications, given the size of the rectennas. Both rectennas were tested in open-air conditions and surrounded by pork fat and muscle tissues, whose properties are similar to those of the human body. The resonant frequencies of the rectennas were found, and the incident electric field on the rectennas tests was increased. The first chip showed a maximum output voltage of 5.29 V and a maximum output power of 0.056 mW, at 1.446 GHz, under an incident field on the rectenna of 340 V/m, and the second chip, 4.62 V and 4.27 mW, at 1.175 GHz, under 535 V/m. The second rectenna can provide an output power greater than 5 mW. The rectennas presented in this article are beyond the state of the art, as they can deliver about three times more power and voltage than those of similar dimensions reported in the literature. Based on the test results, the efficiency of the rectennas was analyzed at different locations of the human body, considering different thicknesses of tissues with high and low water content. Finally, potential applications are described in which the rectennas could power implantable medical devices or microsurgery tools, for example, pulmonary artery pressure monitors.

This work presents the design, fabrication, and measured results of a fully integrated miniature rectenna using a novel tunnel diode known as the Asymmetrical Spacer Layer Tunnel (ASPAT). The term rectenna is an abbreviation for a rectifying antenna, a device with a rectifier and antenna coexisting as a single design. The ASPAT is the centrepiece of the rectifier used for its strong temperature independence, zero bias, and high dynamic range. The antenna is designed to be impedance matched with the rectifier, eliminating the need for a matching network and saving valuable real estate on the gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate. The antenna is fully integrated with the rectifier on a single chip, thus enabling antenna miniaturisation due to the high dielectric constant of GaAs and spiral design. This miniaturisation enables the design to be fabricated economically on a GaAs substrate whilst being comparable in size to a 15-gauge needle, thus unlocking applications in medical implants. The design presented here has a total die size of 4 × 1.2 mm², with a maximum measured output voltage of 0.97 V and a 20 dBm single-tone 2.35 GHz signal transmitted 5 cm away from the rectenna.