Experimental study of near-field beamforming in conformal K-band planar arrays

Microwave hyperthermia systems require beamforming in the near-field of the radiating applicator to act on tumors. The precise focusing of beams is still challenging, and the conformal antenna array is a prospective solution to this problem, owing to the flexible contour of the array geometry, which can blend with the local body surface area. This work describes beamforming experimental tests on planar K band waveguide arrays (18-26 GHz). Two geometries have been tested: a four-element geometry, which exhibits a focused beam along the axis of the array; a six-element geometry, which exhibits a constant variation along the same axis.