A review of electromagnetic sensing for healthcare applications

Recent breakthroughs in the fields of antennas, electromagnetic sensors, propagation, and advanced materials have unveiled new opportunities for body area sensing, disease detection, and continuous monitoring. Traditional healthcare approaches not only incur substantial costs but also suffer from inherent drawbacks such as ionizing radiation risks. A range of medical devices, including pacemakers, implants, endoscopy equipment, microwave imaging, and thermal ablation clinical apparatus have greatly benefited from the incorporation of electromagnetic sensors and wireless body area networks. Electromagnetic sensors hold significant potential to transform not only the healthcare sector but also the sports and wearable electronics industries, offering myriad innovative applications. This comprehensive review paper provides an in-depth exploration of the challenges and prospects associated with electromagnetic sensors, including but not limited to microwave probes, resonators, and antennas. We aim to shed light on the potential of these emerging technologies and provide a roadmap for their future development in the context of healthcare and beyond.

Automated summary

Recent breakthroughs in antennas, electromagnetic sensors, propagation, and advanced materials have opened up new opportunities for body area sensing, disease detection, and continuous monitoring. This paper provides an in-depth exploration of the challenges and prospects associated with electromagnetic sensors, and offers a roadmap for their future development.