Performance Evaluation of a Predesigned Compact Bow-Tie Slot Antenna in Medical Imaging

In this work, the suitability of a predesigned compact circular bow-tie slot wearable textile antenna for the purposes of medical imaging is explored. A dielectric breast phantom model with inclusions of different sizes (10 mm, 6 mm and 3 mm) and locations was used for this purpose. These inclusions mimic early-stage malignancies in the breast. The microwave imaging setup used to acquire the scattered data (tomographic arrangement) consists of the object under test, transmitting antennas, receiving antennas, data acquisition system, and an imaging algorithm. The antennas used to measure the scattered data are arranged in a circular pattern at a distance of 3 cm from the periphery of the phantom. The imaging frequency of the antenna is chosen as 3.6 GHz. The antennas receive the scattered data, which is then processed using the Re-Weighted Basic Pursuit (RWBP) algorithm to obtain the dielectric profile of the breast phantom. The results indicate that the imaging system incorporating the bow-tie slot antenna can detect all three inclusions of 10 mm, 6 mm, and 3 mm efficiently. As a result, this antenna can be utilized for medical imaging applications.