Microwave Imaging for Lung Covid-19 Infection Detection through Huygens Principle

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to show the capability of the Huygens Principle-based microwave imaging for use in Lung COVID-19 infection detection. Frequency-domain measurements have been performed in an anechoic chamber using two Microstrip antennas operating at frequency range of 1 to 5 GHz, in a multi-bistatic fashion, employing dedicated phantoms that mimic the dimensions and the dielectric properties of a human torso, containing a target mimicking an infection. A Multi-layered elliptically-shaped torso-mimicking phantom having the circumference of 82 cm has been constructed;the external layer mimics the dielectric properties of a combination of muscle, fat and rib bone tissues, the inner layer mimics the dielectric properties of lung (inflated). A cylindrically-shaped tube of water has been positioned inside the inner layer to dielectrically mimic the infection. The S-21 signals have been used for image reconstruction (after removing artifacts), obtaining detection with a signal to clutter ratio of 7 dB. Our results confirm that Huygens based technique can be successfully used for lung infection detection even if antennas and phantom are in free space, i.e., no coupling liquid is required.