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DESIGN OF MEDICAL RADIOMETER FRONT-END FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE.

O Klemetsen¹, Y Birkelund, S K Jacobsen

¹Department of Physics and Technology, University of Tromsø, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway.

Progress in Electromagnetics Research B. Pier B

|July 23, 2011

Summary

Researchers developed an affordable, sensitive Dicke radiometer for non-invasive temperature monitoring. Placing low noise amplifiers before the Dicke switch significantly improved sensitivity for medical applications like breast cancer detection.

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Area of Science:

Microwave Engineering
Biomedical Instrumentation
Radiometry

Background:

Accurate non-invasive temperature monitoring is crucial for medical applications, including breast cancer detection and thermal therapy monitoring.
Existing radiometer designs may be expensive, bulky, or lack sufficient sensitivity for these applications.
The 3.25-3.75 GHz frequency band offers a balance between spatial resolution and sensing depth in lossy biological tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the feasibility of creating an inexpensive, compact, stable, and highly sensitive single-band Dicke radiometer using readily available microwave components.
To compare the performance of two Dicke radiometer designs: one conventional and one with low noise amplifiers placed before the Dicke switch.
To assess the suitability of the developed radiometer for non-invasive temperature monitoring in biomedical applications.

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Main Methods:

Two prototype Dicke radiometers were designed and constructed using off-the-shelf microwave components (< 5 mm × 5 mm).
Numerical simulations were performed to validate design concepts before building prototype PCB front-end layouts.
Prototypes were calibrated and tested for sensitivity in water baths and a multilayered phantom during heating cycles.

Main Results:

Both designs achieved a power gain of approximately 50 dB over a 500 MHz bandwidth centered at 3.5 GHz without stability issues.
The design with low noise amplifiers preceding the Dicke switch demonstrated 36% superior sensitivity compared to the conventional design.
Testing revealed potential damage to active components during microwave heating, necessitating protective measures for the improved design.

Conclusions:

An inexpensive, small-sized, and highly sensitive Dicke radiometer suitable for medical temperature monitoring has been successfully realized.
Placing low noise amplifiers before the Dicke switch significantly enhances radiometer sensitivity, outperforming conventional designs.
Further research is required to develop protective strategies for the improved radiometer front-end to enable its use during active heating.