Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41682410›Full record

ArticleSensors (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Design and Experimental Validation of a 12 GHz High-Gain 4 × 4 Patch Antenna Array for S21 Phase-Based Vital Signs Monitoring.

David Vatamanu, Simona Miclaus, Ladislau Matekovits

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

David VatamanuDoctoral School, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-0802-2717
Simona MiclausDoctoral School, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-1408-9109
Ladislau MatekovitsDepartment of Electronics and Telecommunications, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0946-9561

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Non-contact monitoring of human vital signs using microwave radar has attracted increasing attention due to its capability to operate unobtrusively and through clothing or light obstacles. In vector network analyzer (VNA)-based radar systems, vital signs can be extracted from phase variations in the forward transmission coefficient S21, whose sensitivity strongly depends on the electromagnetic performance of the antenna system. This work presents the design, optimization, fabrication, and experimental validation of a high-gain 12 GHz 4 × 4 microstrip patch antenna array specifically developed for phase-based vital signs monitoring. The antenna array was progressively optimized through coaxial feeding, slot-based impedance control, stepped transmission line matching, and mitered bends, achieving a simulated gain of 17.8 dBi, a measured gain of 17.06 dBi, a reflection coefficient of -26 dB at 12 GHz, and a total efficiency close to 74%. The antenna performance was experimentally validated in an anechoic chamber and subsequently integrated into a continuous-wave VNA-based radar system. Comparative measurements were conducted against a commercial biconical antenna, a single patch radiator, and an MIMO antenna under identical conditions. Results demonstrate that while respiration can be detected with moderate-gain antennas, reliable heartbeat detection requires high-gain, narrow-beam antennas to enhance phase sensitivity and suppress environmental clutter. The proposed array significantly improves pulse detectability in the (1-1.5) Hz band without relying on advanced signal processing. These findings highlight the critical role of antenna design in S21-based biomedical radar systems and provide practical design guidelines for high-sensitivity non-contact vital signs monitoring.

Indexed as

heartbeat detectionmicrowave radarnon-contact vital signs monitoringpatch antenna arrayS21 phaseVNA-based radar

Identifiers

PMID41682410
PMCPMC12899743

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.