Compact reflectometers for a wideband microwave breast cancer detection system

• Main Authors: Bialkowski, Marek, Seman, Norhudah, Abbosh, Amin, Wee, Chang Khor
• Format: Article
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Online Access: http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/8066/; http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/ojs/index.php/ajict/article/view/E1I2122006021

The design of compact wideband microwave reflectometers for the purpose of inclusion in a breast cancer detection system is presented. In this system, a wideband frequency source is used to synthesize a narrow pulse via the step-frequency synthesis method. The reflectometer undertakes measurements in the frequency domain and the collected data is transformed into the time/space domain using IFFT. In order to accomplish reflection coefficient measurements over a large frequency band, compact wideband couplers and power dividers are used to form the reflectometer. Two compact six-port reflectometer configurations are investigated. One uses the Lange coupler and the Gysel power divider and the other one employs a 3dB slot-coupled microstrip coupler and a 2-stage Wilkinson power divider. The reflectometer employing the slot-coupled coupler and the Wilkinson divider provides a wider operational bandwidth, as shown by simulation results performed with Agilent ADS