Initial Experimental Validation of a Microwave Imaging System to Monitor Liver Microwave Thermal Ablation
Description
This study presents the initial experimental
validation of a mono-static microwave imaging system to
monitor liver microwave thermal ablation. The system consists
of a tank filled with a coupling medium in which a 3D-printed
phantom mimicking the ablation region is embedded. A slotloaded
Vivaldi antenna is moved in front of the phantom along
a linear path, measuring the S-parameters on a finite number of
positions. Both simulation and measurement results are found
to agree each other. The differential signal of the microwave
imaging system with and without the presence of the phantom
is over -90 dB, which is above the detection capacity of
commercial VNA. The experimental validation of the system
paves the way for the design of a multi-static microwave
imaging system.