Impact of Antenna Gain on Dielectric Constant Measurements in Microwave Imaging for Breast Cancer Detection

This paper investigates the impact of antenna gain profile on the extraction of dielectric properties from normal and malignant phantoms in microwave imaging for cancer detection. Microwave phantoms, replicating both normal tissue and tumor dielectric properties, are prepared. 2 recipes were prepared and their Dielectric constants were measured using a coaxial probe to ensure that the used recipes mimic both glandular and tumor properties. One of the recipes could be used for both normal and tumorous phantoms while the other one could be used for tumorous phantoms only. Three antennas with varying gain profiles (basic circular patch monopole, semi-oval monopole, and Partial Circular Disc Monopole Antenna) were designed in the 3–12 GHz range. The gain of the designed antennas varies from 2–10 dBi over the design frequency. The designed antennas were used to measure the dielectric constant of the prepared phantoms in a free-space dielectric measurement setup this research should provide insights into microwave imaging for breast cancer detection.