Detection of breast tumor with a frequency selective surface loaded ultra-wide band antenna system

Abstract

Breast tumors are a significant cause to the global death rate among women. However, the fatality rate can be lowered through early detection. This paper presents an ultra-wideband, modified patch antenna of a compact size that can be used for microwave-sensing biomedical applications in the detection of breast cancer. A partial ground plane and slots are implemented in a transformed patch antenna to enhance the impedance bandwidth. The antenna is backed by a uniform frequency selective surface of 5 × 5 unit cells to achieve the necessary antenna characteristics, specifically directivity and gain, for microwave detection applications. Through optimization and fabrication, the final design maintained (|S11|< −10 dB) over the entire frequency band of 11.6 GHz (3.1–14.7 GHz) and achieved an average gain of over 5 dBi. Other metrics, such as group delay and the fidelity factor in different setups, are also simulated to observe the expected performance in the required frequency range. Finally, based on simulation, a model is suggested that comprises various configurations of antenna arrays, including one Tx antenna and one to seven Rx antennas. Further, breast phantom with different tumor sizes and locations were used in the simulation. The simulation results successfully validated the detection of breast cancer cells. We believe these technologies can open possibilities in healthcare applications for identifying tumors.