Effects of preservative solutions on the dielectric properties of biological tissue

Theranostic applications of microwaves in medicine depend on reliable knowledge of tissue dielectric properties. In-vivo measurements on human tissue are difficult to conduct and consequently, validated dielectric data is scarce, thus necessitating use of ex-vivo tissue. The variation of tissue permittivity following excision has been the subject of some studies, and it is generally accepted that measurements have to be conducted within a short time following excision. The present study investigates the effect of tissue preserving solutions on the permittivity of porcine muscle and fat from 0.5 to 20 GHz. Our data indicates a significant difference in permittivity of the preserved tissue that is similar to the behaviour of the preserving solution. The ultimate goal of this study is to investigate the effects of biological tissue preservation on the measured dielectric properties.