Metamaterial Vivaldi Antenna Array for Breast Cancer Detection.

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetic waves
• Metamaterials
• Antenna design

Background:

• Tumor detection requires sensitive and accurate methods.
• Traditional Vivaldi antennas have limitations in size and performance.
• Metamaterials offer unique electromagnetic properties for antenna miniaturization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a compact directional Vivaldi antenna for detecting tumor cells.
• To leverage metamaterials for enhanced antenna performance and reduced size.
• To assess the antenna's capability in detecting tumors within a breast phantom.

Main Methods:

• Design and optimization of a Vivaldi antenna incorporating metamaterials using CST microwave software.
• Characterization of the antenna's return loss and radiation gain at 5 GHz.
• Experimental validation using an array of antennas to detect tumors in a liquid breast phantom.

Main Results:

• The proposed metamaterial-based Vivaldi antenna is 33% smaller than traditional designs.
• Achieved excellent return loss of 25 dB and a gain of 6.2 dB at 5 GHz.
• Demonstrated positional accuracy in detecting tumors within a liquid breast phantom.

Conclusions:

• The miniaturized Vivaldi antenna with metamaterials is effective for tumor cell detection.
• The antenna array shows potential for accurate tumor localization in biomedical applications.
• The design offers a promising advancement in microwave-based medical diagnostics.