3-D experimental UWB microwave imaging in dispersive media

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Wave Propagation
• Medical Imaging
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Dispersive media significantly distort microwave signals, complicating accurate imaging.
• Existing ultra-wideband (UWB) imaging methods struggle with multi-speed and multipath propagation effects in such environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel 3D microwave imaging technique for highly dispersive media.
• To address and overcome signal distortion challenges inherent in UWB signal propagation.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a phase shift and sum (PSAS) algorithm for 3D microwave imaging.
• Individual compensation for phase shift and amplitude attenuation across frequency components.
• Integration of compensated frequency data to compute pixel values in the region of interest (ROI).

Main Results:

• Successfully compensated for phase shifts and amplitude attenuation in dispersive media.
• Overcame the multi-speed and multipath propagation issues associated with UWB signals.
• Validated the approach using lab-collected data from a self-developed 3D UWB microwave measurement system.

Conclusions:

• The presented PSAS algorithm effectively enables 3D microwave imaging in dispersive media.
• The method offers a robust solution for overcoming signal distortion, leading to improved image quality.
• Experimental validation confirms the efficacy of the proposed imaging technique.