The Design of a Resistively Loaded Bowtie Antenna for Applications in Breast Cancer Detection Systems

A resistively loaded bowtie antenna, intended for applications in breast cancer detection, is adaptively modified through modelling and genetic optimization. The required wideband operating characteristic is achieved through manipulation of the resistive loading of the antenna structure, the number of wires, and their angular separation within the equivalent wire assembly. The results show an acceptable impedance bandwidth of 100.75%, with a challenge VSWR <; 2, over the interval from 3.3 GHz to 10.0 GHz. Feasibility studies were made on the antenna sensitivity for operation in a tissue-equivalent dielectric medium. The simulated and measured results are all in close agreement.