Breast Cancer Detection by Terahertz UWB Microstrip Patch Antenna Loaded with 6X6 SRR Array

Abstract

This paper presents cancer tumor detection in the breast phantom and cancer tissue detection in the excised breast tissue phantom by the ultra-wideband terahertz microstrip patch antenna. The proposed antenna structure consists of a silicon dioxide substrate with a dielectric constant of 3.9 and a thickness of 200 µm, a radiating gold patch of length 560 µm, width 700 µm, and thickness 36 µm which is on top of the substrate, and an array of 6 × 6 gold Split Ring Resonator at the ground plane. Each SRR is separated by 28.75 µm. An array of SRR at the antenna's ground plane enhances bandwidth, efficiency, gain, directivity and reduces back radiation. The antenna operates in the frequency range of 0.1-3 THz, with a gain of 19.22 dBi and an efficiency of 98.74%. The antenna setup with the breast phantom and excised breast tissue phantom in between have been designed and analyzed in the CST microwave studio 2019 version. Tumor in the breast phantom and the cancerous tissue in the breast tissue phantom can be detected by placing the phantoms between the two identical antennas. The difference in the dielectrics of the breast and the tumor layers can determine the difference between healthy and malignant tissue. A typical breast phantom model that replicates a real-human breast and a specific excised tissue that replicates the actual breast tissue with and without cancer tissue in terms of dielectric and optical properties has been employed in this study to detect the tumor and cancerous tissue.