Leveraging Tumor Induced Frequency Shifts by A 24 GHz Microstrip Antenna with High Sensitivity for Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Abstract

Early detection of breast cancer is critical for patient survival, yet current gold-standard methods like X-ray mammography present significant limitations, including ionizing radiation. a new design of the microstrip patch antenna that is optimized towards early detection of breast cancer at 24 GHz through the benefits of millimeter-wave imaging, such as high resolution and non-ionizing radiation. The cross-slot method has been used with Rogers RT 5880 substrate which in the free space has shown good performance of 10 dB, efficiency of 95% and a wide bandwidth of 1.3 GHz (S11 < -10 dB from 22.8-24.1 GHz). The design was tested in three critical conditions using CST Microwave Studio simulation that included free space operation, multilayer human tissue (skin, fat, fibro) integration, and tumor-embedded conditions. Findings indicate the clear tumor signatures as a frequency shift of 700 MHz, bandwidth reduction to less than 3 MHz and radiation pattern distortions (beam splitting in multiple co-polarized lobes and increased backscatter). It is worth noting that tissue integration decreased gain to 9 dB, but tumor detection sensitivity (90% efficiency) was increased (through an increase in energy coupling) by high permittivity of the tumor. These quantifiable electromagnetic perturbations offer a viable, non-invasive substitute to traditional mammography, and have shown great potential to wearable diagnostic systems in form of the compact design, high sensitivity tumor and real-time monitoring. The paper takes microwave breast imaging one step further and determines definite correlations between changes in the parameters of the antennas and the presence of the malignant tissues.