Non-contact active microwave sensor for glucose concentration measurement

Abstract

A non-contract microwave sensor with a common emitter amplifier circuit for glucose concentration sensing is developed and investigated in this article. The geometries and materials of the designed sensor are optimized and analyzed by the full-wave electromagnetic simulation. The microwave prototype was created using a printed circuit board based on dry film techniques. The microwave sensor was connected to a vector network analyzer (VNA) and the electromagnetic interaction between the samples and sensor was analyzed. The proposed sensor was tested for its electromagnetic response to glucose at various concentrations ranging from 0 to 16 % (W/V) with steps of 4 % (W/V) in the frequency range from 2.0 to 4.0 GHz through the measurement of the transmission coefficient (S21) and quality factors (Q-factor) based on non-contact detection. The experimental results confirmed that the magnitude of S21 and Q-factor were changed when the concentration of glucose was changed. The magnitude of S21 and Q-factor were reduced when the glucose concentration is increased. Based on the results of the study, the proposed microwave sensor will be further developed to measure the concentration of soluble glucose and can be used as a sensor for chemical solution measurement and biometrics without damaging the structure of the substance.