A Novel 24 GHz One-Shot, Rapid and Portable Microwave Imaging System

Development of microwave and millimeter wave imaging systems has received significant attention in the past decade. Signals at these frequencies penetrate inside of dielectric materials and have relatively small wavelengths. Thus, imaging systems at these frequencies can produce images of the dielectric and geometrical distributions of objects. Although there are many different approaches for imaging at these frequencies, they each have their respective advantageous and limiting features (hardware, reconstruction algorithms). One method involves electronically scanning a given spatial domain while recording the coherent scattered field distribution from an object. Consequently, different reconstruction or imaging techniques may be used to produce an image (dielectric distribution and geometrical features) of the object. The ability to perform this accurately and fast can lead to the development of a rapid imaging system that can be used in the same manner as a video camera. This paper describes the design of such a system, operating at 24 GHz, using modulated scatterer technique applied to 30 resonant slots in a prescribed measurement domain.