Detection of Brain Tumors Using UWB Antennas in a High-Fidelity Phantom Model

Abstract

This research presents an ultra-wideband antenna array for the non-invasive early detection of brain tumors. The primary objective of this work is to evaluate the detection capabilities of a proposed Vivaldi antenna array system for identifying small and multiple brain tumors under various simulated biological conditions. The core of the system is a Vivaldi-type antenna operating from 2.4 to 17.7 GHz, configured in both two- and four-antenna arrays. A high-fidelity, seven-layer phantom model was developed to replicate brain tissue, with each layer assigned specific electromagnetic properties (relative permittivity, tangential loss) and physical thickness. The study rigorously analyzes the system’s performance in detecting tumors across diverse scenarios, including variations in phantom complexity, tumor size, permittivity, and the number of present tumors. Using the Delay and Sum algorithm for image reconstruction, the results demonstrate the system’s feasibility in detecting tumors as small as 0.625 mm in diameter. This underscores the significant potential of the proposed design as a powerful tool for non-invasive medical diagnostics.