Microwave Sensing System for Bone Health Evaluation

Abstract

The microwave sensing system is an emerging technology for early diagnosis in medical applications. It is a non-invasive technology that utilizes non-ionizing electromagnetic waves in the GHz range which can easily penetrate through human tissue. In these microwave sensing systems, the transmitting and receiving antennas play a crucial part as the governing factors of the microwave sensing system depend on the antenna performance. newlineOsteoporosis is a metabolic bone disorder characterized by a reduction in bone mass, degradation of bone composition, and increase in fragility risk. It is known as the silent killer as there is no symptom until and unless there is a fracture. It is one of the major causes of fracture in elderly people and post-menopausal women. The most prominent areas of fractures are the spine, wrist, hip, and vertebrate which can lead to reduced mobility or complete disability making the person fully dependent on someone. Currently, the most prominent techniques to measure bone mineral density or bone mineral contents are dual-energy X-ray (DEXA), quantitative computed tomography (QUS), and Ultrasound. However, these techniques suffer from several limitations. DEXA and QCT utilize high dosage ionization radiations which could lead to cancer, it takes too much time for evaluation, is expensive, and not easily available in all the diagnostic centers. Ultrasound cannot penetrate through human bones and has a strong acoustic reflection. Hence the authors are focusing on microwave sensing system as it is non-ionizing, has larger bandwidth, can easily penetrate through human tissues, has a high resolution, and can focus the energy in a particular direction.