We present a sensing system operating at millimetre (mm) waves in transmission mode that can measure glucose level changes based on the complex permittivity changes across the signal path. The permittivity of a sample can change significantly as the concentration of one of its substances varies: for example, blood permittivity depends on the blood glucose levels. The proposed sensing system uses two facing microstrip patch antennas operating at 60 GHz, which are placed across interrogated samples. The measured transmission coefficient depends on the permittivity change along the signal path, which can be correlated to the change in concentration of a substance. Along with theoretical estimations, we experimentally demonstrate the sensing performance of the system using controlled laboratory samples, such as water-based glucose-loaded liquid samples. We also present results of successful glucose spike detection in humans during an in-vivo Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test (IVGTT). The system could eventually be developed into a non-invasive glucose monitor for continuous monitoring of glucose levels for people living with diabetes, as it can detect as small as 1.33 mmol/l (0.025 wt%) glucose concentrations in the controlled water-based samples satisfactorily, which is well below the typical human glucose levels of 4 mmol/l.

Objective: Near-field microwave radiometry has emerged as a tool for real time passive monitoring of local brain activation possibly attributed to local changes in blood flow that correspond to temperature and/or conductivity changes. The aim of this study is to design and evaluate a prototype system based on microwave radiometry intended to detect local changes of temperature and conductivity in depth in brain tissues. A novel radiometric system that comprises a four port total power Dicke-switch sensitive receiver that operates at 1.5 GHz has been developed. Methods and Results: The efficacy of the system was assessed through simulation and experiment on brain tissue mimicking phantoms under different setup conditions, where temperature and conductivity changes were accurately detected. In order to validate the radiometer's capability to sense low power signals occurring spontaneously from regions in the human brain, the somatosensory cortices of one volunteer were measured under pain inducing psychophysiological conditions. The promising results from the initial in-vivo measurements prove the system's potential for more extensive investigative trials. Conclusion and significance: The significance of this study lies on the development of a compact and sensitive radiometer for totally passive monitoring of local brain activation as a potential complementary tool for contributing to the research effort for investigating brain functionality.

We present a first prototype of a wideband microwave tomography system with potential application to medical imaging. The system relies on a compact and robust printed monopole antenna which can operate in the 1.0–3.0 GHz range when fully immersed in commonly used coupling liquids, such as glycerine–water solutions. By simulating the proposed imaging setup in CST Microwave Studio, we study the signal transmission levels and array sensitivity for different target and coupling liquid media. We then present the experimental prototype design and data acquisition process, and show good agreement between experimentally measured data and results from the CST simulations. We assess imaging performance by applying our previously proposed two-dimensional (2-D) DBIM TwIST-algorithm to both simulated and experimental datasets, and demonstrate that the system can reconstruct simple cylindrical targets at multiple frequencies.

This mini-review examines the most prominent features and usages of metamaterials, such as metamaterial-based and metamaterial-inspired RF components used for biomedical applications. Emphasis is given to applications on sensing and imaging systems, wearable and implantable antennas for telemetry, and metamaterials used as flexible absorbers for protection against extreme electromagnetic (EM) radiation. A short discussion and trends on the metamaterial composition, implementation, and phantom preparation are presented. This review seeks to compile the state-of-the-art biomedical systems that utilize metamaterial concepts for enhancing their performance in some form or another. The goal is to highlight the diverse applications of metamaterials and demonstrate how different metamaterial techniques impact EM biomedical applications from RF to THz frequency range. Insights and open problems are discussed, illuminating the prototyping process.