Initial Experimental Validation of a Microwave Imaging System to Monitor Liver Microwave Thermal Ablation
Résumé
This study presents the initial experimental validation of a mono-static microwave imaging system to monitor liver microwave thermal ablation. The system consists of a tank filled with a coupling medium in which a 3D-printed phantom mimicking the ablation region is embedded. A slotloaded Vivaldi antenna is moved in front of the phantom along a linear path, measuring the S-parameters on a finite number of positions. Both simulation and measurement results are found to agree each other. The differential signal of the microwave imaging system with and without the presence of the phantom is over -90 dB, which is above the detection capacity of commercial VNA. The experimental validation of the system paves the way for the design of a multi-static microwave imaging system.