Implementation of a Microwave Imaging System for Bones Diagnosis

Microwave imaging for biomedical applications is a promising modality due to its numerous advantages. One of its medical applications is estimating bone density for monitoring osteoporosis. A microwave imaging system consists of two main hardware components: a microwave switch and an array of antennas. In this paper, an overview of a microwave imaging system for bone health monitoring will be presented, with a focus on the design and implementation of a circular array with 18 meander-line antenna elements. The design of antenna elements is optimized to operate at a frequency of 1 GHz when an ultrasound gel-matching medium covers the radiating part of an antenna. The antenna simulation and fabrication results are compared with each other. Additionally, the effect of the matching medium on the antenna performance is shown.