Design of a Low Mutual Coupling Antenna in a Circular Array Using EBG for Breast Tumor Detection

Microwave imaging, used for breast tumor detection, requires low mutual coupling antennas in a circular array configuration, which can lead to signal degradation and distortion in the resulting images. This study proposes a Printed Monopole Antenna design with a Z-shaped slot Electromagnetic Band Gap (PMAZEBG) to minimize mutual coupling in a circular array configuration, resulting in a 13 dB decrease. The PMA-ZEBG is compact, measuring 35 × 40 × 1.524 mm (0.30λ₀ × 0.34λ₀ × 0.01λ₀ at 2.61 GHz), and has a bandwidth of 3.2 GHz (2.61 GHz–5.81 GHz). Simulated Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values at 20 mm between the breast and the antenna indicate that the antenna is within safe standards for microwave imaging. The S-parameters from the PMA-ZEBG can be used to identify and localize tumor presence by employing the Delay and Sum (DAS) algorithm within the Microwave Radar-based Imaging Toolbox (MERIT). The imaging results obtained using the PMA-ZEBG antenna display a more defined tumor image within the specified area and fewer discernible spots on the periphery.