Microwave-based Safe Alternative for X-ray Scans for Pleural Effusion

Pleural effusion and high water content abnormality in the lungs require either continuous monitoring or frequent monitoring. Conventional techniques, such as X-ray scans, pose safety concerns due to their ionizing nature. In this work, we propose a methodology combining a wideband high-gain antenna with a raster scanning technique for imaging high water content anomalies within the lungs. The low-profile antenna operates over a wide bandwidth of 2.98 to 6 GHz, including the 5.8 GHz ISM band. Enhancements to the raster scanning technique have been made to improve resolution and accuracy. The proposed methodology has been applied on a multilayer tissue model. Additionally, a comparison between microwave imaging and X-ray scans is presented, demonstrating the potential of the proposed technique for safely and effectively detecting high water content abnormalities in the lungs.