Abderrahmane Benhalima, B. Fellah, Samir Ghouali, Mohammed Berka
Abstract This paper presents a novel ultrathin highly reconfigurable patch antenna design optimized for adaptive medical applications within the 2.2–2.4 GHz ISM band. The antenna incorporates innovative patch geometry on a high-performance Rogers RT5880 substrate and uniquely integrates dual complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) within the coplanar waveguide (CPW) ground plane as defected ground structures (DGS). The design’s primary innovation lies in its unprecedented 16-state reconfigurability, realized through four strategically positioned PIN diodes that enable dynamic frequency tuning and radiation pattern adaptability essential for diverse medical environments. Comprehensive electromagnetic simulations reveal exceptional performance characteristics: tunable bandwidth spanning 188–265 MHz, remarkable efficiency ranging from 92.80 to 98.39% and consistently superior return loss exceeding −20 dB across all operational states. The antenna exhibits stable gain performance between 2.19 and 2.433 dBi throughout its reconfigurable modes, ensuring robust signal transmission reliability. With ultra-compact dimensions of 38.21 × 47.46 × 0.11 mm 3 , this design represents a significant advancement in medical antenna technology, offering enhanced miniaturization and superior electromagnetic performance. The proposed antenna demonstrates strong potential for critical healthcare applications, including Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs), adaptive medical telemetry systems, and reconfigurable diagnostic platforms requiring dynamic frequency adaptation. Rigorous validation through equivalent circuit modeling confirms exceptional design accuracy and manufacturing feasibility, with frequency predictions achieving remarkable precision within 0.08% deviation from full-wave electromagnetic simulations, establishing confidence in both the theoretical framework and the practical implementation.