Simulation Study of a Compact UWB Antenna for Detection of Breast Tumors using Microwave Imaging Technique

This research article proposes a miniaturized UWB antenna for breast tumor detection using the radar-based microwave imaging (RBMI) method. The proposed UWB antenna’s top view consists of a stepped tapered microstrip feedline along with a split ring resonator patch structure, whereas the bottom layer of the proposed structure includes a hexagonal concentric ring-like structure in the ground plane to boost the bandwidth. The designed antenna has total volumetric dimensions of 15×12×1.6 mm
³
, operating within the range of frequency from 4.2 GHz to 12 GHz. The proposed antenna is designed and analyzed on Computer Simulation Technology. The simulated backscattered signals are analyzed by keeping the tapered feedline antenna at 20 mm from the target medium. After that, post-processing of the simulated reflection coefficients is carried out to detect the presence of malignant tissue. Moreover, the designed antenna offers the Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) of 1.09 W/Kg over 1g of tissue at 4.8 GHz, which is an acceptable limit for SAR as per FCC guidelines. As a result, the radar-based monostatic microwave imaging, and proposed antenna are suitable for the identification of breast tumors.