Osteoporosis detection with microwave signals: An investigation into natural resonance frequencies

Abstract

This study analyses the dispersion behavior of microwave signals passing through biological tissues by considering various electromagnetic relaxation phenomena. The investigation concentrates on the impact of this dispersion behaviour on human bone tissues causing the health conditions of osteoporosis. Based on the attenuation profile through biological tissues, an optimum frequency range of operation is identified to capture the comprehensive target tissue profiles without minimal loss of signal strength in surrounding tissues. The dispersion through a human wrist model is analysed by extracting the late-time response. A pioneering aspect of this study lies in its utilization of the natural resonant frequency plane as a tool to gauge the dielectric properties of bone tissue, offering insights into its mineral content. To improve the ease of use and diagnostic accuracy, an automated multi-class classification using standard machine learning algorithms is developed during the final response analysis. The proposed approach effectively and accurately classifies the progression of osteoporosis. � 2023 Elsevier B.V.