Tapered microstrip patch antenna array for microwave breast imaging

Microwave breast imaging is based on the electrical property contrast between healthy and malignant breast tissue. This contrast can be detected using an array of antennas that illuminate the breast with microwave energy through a coupling medium and subsequently measure the resulting scattered fields. An optimal antenna array design will improve a microwave imaging system’s ability to detect and resolve tumors by maximizing the system’s signal-to-noise ration (SNR) and spatial sampling density while minimizing the effect of mutual coupling. A novel antenna array of tapered microstrip patch antennas operating at 2.7 GHz. is presented that achieves a balance between these competing design goals.