Miniaturized coplanar Vivaldi antenna design for brain imaging

Abstract

We developed a miniaturized coplanar Vivaldi antenna (M-CPVA) for microwave imaging applications. First, a conventional coplanar Vivaldi antenna (CPVA) was designed. Then, the M-CPVA was developed by properly cropping the exponential flares. The impedance bandwidth and near-field electric field distribution of the M-CPVA were improved as compared to the conventional CPVA. In particular, the designed M-CPVA was 58.6 x 92 x 1.6 mm(3) in size and operated from 1 to 7.5 GHz, corresponding to a fractional bandwidth of 152%. Last, the produced M-CPVA was tested in a microwave imaging system for continuous monitoring of brain strokes. The stability and accuracy of the imaging results imply that the proposed antenna could be useful for microwave brain stroke monitoring applications.