Near-field scanning microwave microscopy for detection of subsurface biological anomalies

In this paper, a near-field non-destructive detection technique is proposed for biomedical applications. By using an open-end microwave resonator, buried objects under the skin, such as breast tumors, can be detected by measuring the resonant frequency shift, which results from the interaction of evanescent electromagnetic energy and buried objects. High spatial resolution can be reached since the technique is based on the near-field wave-material interaction, which is not limited by the diffraction limit of the far-field imaging.