Contactless early-stage deep seated breast tumor detection using circular slotted patch antenna

Abstract This paper presents a new approach in microwave antenna-based non-ionizing contactless breast tumor detection system. A low-profile compact circular slotted microstrip antenna is designed with a 40 × 36 mm 2 structure, operating in 3.54 GHz–5.34 GHz. The radiation characteristics of the design are optimized by carefully adjusting the placements of the circular slots. To verify the functioning, the model is investigated using a breast phantom with an early-stage deep-seated tumorous region. Differences in various antenna parameters are used to claim the presence of a tumor. Also, the impact of the electrical characteristics of the breast layers on antenna performance is studied. The physical antenna measurements show good agreement with the simulated performance. This allows deep signal penetration and ease of tumor detection. With a peak realized gain of 6.9 dBi, radiation efficiency of 99.07 %, and three S 11 peaks below −20 dB, the antenna shows strong sensitivity across frequencies for the detection of tumors. Further, by processing the reflected signals using a modified delay multiply and sum algorithm, a 2D image is created for tumor localization. The findings of this work demonstrate the ability of the suggested antenna to perceive early-stage deep-seated breast tumors.