Technology Review: An Implantable Antenna

Technology Review: An Implantable Antenna: "Omenetto and his colleague Richard Averitt, associate professor of physics at Boston University, used similar principles to create a metamaterial that's responsive not to visible light, but rather to frequencies further down the electromagnetic spectrum, within the terahertz range. Not coincidentally, proteins, enzymes, and chemicals in the body are naturally resonant at terahertz frequencies, and, according to Averitt, each biological agent has its own terahertz "signature."

Terahertz science is a new and growing field, and several research groups are investigating specific protein "T-ray" signatures. A silk metamaterial antenna could someday pick up these specific signals and then send a wireless signal to a computer, to report on chemical levels and monitor disease.

To engineer the responsive end of such an antenna, the team first created a biocompatible base by boiling down silk and pouring the liquid solution into a centimeter-square film. The researchers then sprayed gold onto the silk film, using tiny stencils to create different patterns all along the film. Each area of the film responds to a different terahertz frequency depending on the shape of the gold pattern. The team then wrapped the patterned film around a capsule to form an antenna."