A UWB antenna for microwave brain imaging

Brain tumor is one of degenerative diseases that have been concerned by doctors and researcher to be investigated. MRI, PET, or CT is widely used modalities for brain tumor scanning, which it can provide accurate and high resolution image. However, it costs still relatively high particularly in developing countries with high population like Indonesia. Hence, it is desirable to develop a new brain tumor imaging system that is affordable, easy to operate (portable), non-ionization (safe radiation) and use a non-invasive technique. Microwave imaging is considered as a suitably matched modality to those requirements. In this paper, an ultrawideband (UWB) antenna is proposed as a transceiver of microwave imaging on brain tumors, which it operates in UWB range (i.e. 3.1-10.6 GHz). The proposed antenna is a printed dipole-like fed by a coplanar waveguide because it provides high frequency response. The antenna is numerically simulated using C ST Microwave Studio 2014 and experimentally measured near to a semi-solid head-equivalent phantom, particularly S11 and radiation pattern on xy- and yz-plane at 5.8 GHz.