Reducing Non-Through Body Energy Transfer in Microwave Imaging Systems

On-body antennas for use in microwave imaging (MI) systems can direct energy around the body instead of through the body, thus degrading the overall signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the system. This work introduces and quantifies the usage of modern metal-backed RF absorbing foam in conjunction with on-body antennas to dampen energy flowing around the body, using both simulations and experiments. A head imaging system is demonstrated herein but the principle can be applied to any part of the body including the torso or extremities. A computational model was simulated numerically using Ansys HFSS. A physical prototype in the form of a helmet with embedded antennas was built to compare simulations with measured data. Simulations and measurements demonstrate that usage of such metal-backed RF-absorbing foams can significantly reduce around-body coupling from Transmit (Tx) and Receive (Rx) antennas by approximately 10 dB. Thus, the overall SNR of the MI system can be substantially improved using this low-cost and affordable method.