Dielectric Properties Of Skin-Mimicking Tissue Models In The 5-20 Ghz Range

The research of microwave-based medical systems requires accurate knowledge of dielectric properties of biological tissues. For the development and validation of such systems, tissue-mimicking models (phantoms) are needed for controlled laboratory experiments. This study investigates the dielectric properties of two commonly used skin-mimicking phantoms which are composed of different material configurations. The dielectric properties are characterized using a performance probe over the frequency range of 5 - 20 GHz. We observe the relative permittivity and conductivity in the range of interest for three different configurations of each tissue phantom: a thicker, "block" geometry and a thinner 2-mm sample representative of the human skin in its thickness and positioned on a fat-mimicking phantom layer.