Sensitivity-enhanced Microwave Sensors for Real-time Detection and Monitoring

Vestrum, Sarah Viola

Sensitivity-enhanced Microwave Sensors for Real-time Detection and Monitoring

dc.contributor.advisor	Abbasi, Zahra
dc.contributor.author	Vestrum, Sarah Viola
dc.contributor.committeemember	Abbasi, Zahra
dc.contributor.committeemember	Murari, Kartikeya
dc.contributor.committeemember	Badv, Maryam
dc.date	2024-05
dc.date.accessioned	2024-05-28T18:01:05Z
dc.date.available	2024-05-28T18:01:05Z
dc.date.issued	2024-05-27
dc.description.abstract	Planar microwave sensors have gained popularity due to their real-time, non-invasive sensing abilities. These structures have successfully enabled various range of applications in various applications, from small-volume liquid characterization in biomedical applications to sensing and detection in high-pressure and temperature environments. While planar resonator structures were introduced to the filter design domain first, they have transited into an ideal candidate for real-time sensing and monitoring to address different limitations that waveguide microwave sensing approaches suffer from, including bulky structures and requiring higher volumes of the sample under the test. This work focuses on enhancing the sensitivity of microwave structures using single-port reader-tag based structures. Unlike the popular two-port planar microwave sensor structures, single-port structure designs have the advantage of lowering the requirements and costs for measuring equipment, making them suitable for personalized sensing applications. Here, three single-port reader-tag based planar sensors have been introduced to enhance sensitivity and sensing distance for different rapid liquid characterization applications in the medical field. First, a patch antenna sensor for distant, small volume water-content detection. This structure detects water absorption with a resolution of 25 μL using a hydrogel-integrated sensing tag to improve sensitivity. Then, a patch antenna sensor for distant electrolyte concentration detection in urine for hydration monitoring was developed. The fabricated sensor was able to detect concentration changes of 0.5% at a distance of 24 mm from the reader, making it a well-fit candidate for wearable dehydration monitoring applications in older adults due to their increased susceptibility to dehydration.
dc.identifier.citation	Vestrum, S. V. (2024). Sensitivity-enhanced microwave sensors for real-time detection and monitoring (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/118853
dc.identifier.uri	https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/46450
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Microwave engineering
dc.subject	Sensors
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Electronics and Electrical
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Biomedical
dc.title	Sensitivity-enhanced Microwave Sensors for Real-time Detection and Monitoring
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Engineering – Electrical & Computer
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.