Interference Enhanced Biomedical Antenna for Combined Heating and Radiometry Application

Successful proof-of-concept studies of biomedical devices, using combined heating and radiometry for noninvasive assessment of tissue by thermal methods, requires innovative approaches of biomedical antenna design and testing, and proper radio frequency interference (RFI) mitigation. In this letter, a dual-mode (heating/radiometry) antenna, for 0.9 GHz heating and ∼3.7 GHz radiometry, and methods for the RFI reduction and assessment are introduced. The impact of different dielectric barriers needed for interfacing with a perfused tissue phantom on the antenna performance is also demonstrated. The antenna performance remains unchanged as long as the overall thickness of the superstrate and barrier is maintained the same. Tests are performed on a novel phantom, mimicking a perfused tissue, and pertinent radiometric measurements are conducted for the first time. Evaluation of the radiometer output and direct RFI measurement both reveal marked reduction in the RFI effect, after the inclusion of a back housing and an RF choke.