Electronically Scanned Active Sensor Array for the Imaging of Compressed Breast

We present an active sensing array for microwave imaging of the breast in the frequency range from 3 GHz to 8 GHz. This array is composed of printed slot antennas integrated with low-noise amplifiers (LNAs). The proposed active array is designed to interface with an array of mixer chips to provide an electronically scanned sensing array with intermediate frequency (IF) switching, thus overcoming the limitations of the current RF-switched arrays employed in tissue imaging. The IF-switched architecture allows for the multiplexing of 16×16 (256) IF sensing ports. The performance of the active sensor array is verified by both simulation and measurement.