Abstract : In research, it is a must to validate ideas by realistic proofs-of-concept (PoCs). The difficulty of conceiving experiment design is finding the optimal balance between time efficiency, cost, and effectiveness. Microwave engineering is characterized by a high dimensionality in experimental degrees of freedom, such as selecting among a wide choice in measurement instrumentation. The level of difficulty increases even more when the subjects are to advance the health of the community at large. This talk discusses the challenges that microwave engineers face when developing experimental set-ups targeting tests for microwave biomedical applications. The talk covers multiple emerging areas within this domain, ranging from in-vivo dielectric spectroscopy, characterizing liquids in vials, high-precision sensing of small concentrations, to vital sign dynamic sensing and ensuring exposure safety.

Biography : Dominique Schreurs (Fellow, IEEE) received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electronic engineering from KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. As a Postdoctoral Fellow, she was a Visiting Scientist with Agilent Technologies, ETH Zürich, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. She is currently a Full Professor with KU Leuven. Her research interests include microwave/mmWave metrology, device and circuit modeling, and subsystem design for wireless and biomedical applications. Since 2009, she has been on IEEE MTT-S AdCom in multiple roles. She was a Distinguished Microwave Lecturer (2012-2014) and the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on microwave theory and techniques (2014-2016). From 2018 to 2019, she was the President of the Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S). She was also the Co-Chair of the Technical Program Committee (TPC) for the International Microwave Symposium 2023 and the General Chair of IMBioC 2023. She was involved in multiple ARFTG conferences as Conference Chair or TPC Chair. She is also a past President of the ARFTG organization.

Abstract : Amplifiers operating in milli-meter wave and sub-THz are attracting a lot of attentions for various kinds of applications, such as sensors and communications. However, the maximum gain ability of an FET is sometimes not high enough in those frequency regions. Shorter gate length transistor increases the gain but there would be a limit to miniaturization and the process cost is high for those technologies. In this presentation, a unique method to increase gain without any process change will be introduced. The method is the standing-wave controlled gate which can increase not only near fmax but also fmax itself.

Biography : Shinji Hara was born in Toyama, Japan, in 1960. He received his B.E. (1982), M.E. (1984) and doctoral (1992) degrees in electrical engineering from Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.

   In 1983, he joined the Tokyo Research Laboratories of the Sharp Corporation, Chiba, Japan. In September 1986, he joined the ATR Optical and Radio Communications Research Laboratories, Osaka, Japan, on leave from Sharp Corporation. At ATR, he was involved in research on circuit design technology to realize highly integrated MMICs by realizing passive circuit elements that require a large area with FETs, such as active inductors and circulators. In August 1989, he joined the Central Research Laboratories of the Sharp Corporation, where he was engaged in research on MMIC design, mainly for high-efficiency linear GaAs HBT power amplifiers in mobile phone applications. In 1995, he moved to a business unit, in which he was involved in MMIC product development and business activities for mobile phones and Wi-Fi markets. In 2016, he joined Airoha Technology Corp., Hsinchu, Taiwan, where he was a Technical Director. In 2018, he became a Designated Professor at the Institute of Materials and Systems for Sustainability, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan. He is currently engaged in research on circuit design from sub-6 GHz to 300 GHz using GaN and GaAs HEMTs. 

   Dr. Hara is a member of the IEEE, IEICE, and the Japan Society of Applied Physics. He was a co-recipient of the 1991 IEEE MTT-S Microwave Prize.

Abstract : By utilizing microwave signals to sense various life activities, portable radar systems equipped with advanced front-end technologies and sophisticated measurement algorithms have immense potential to revolutionize healthcare, security, and human-machine interfaces. This presentation will begin with an overview of the history of biomedical radar and explore case studies at the cutting edge of the human-microwave frontier. Topics will include physiological signal sensing, non-contact human-computer interfaces, driving behavior recognition, human tracking, and applications in clinical environments. Drawing from the presenter’s personal experience as well as involvement in the MTT-28 Microwave Biological Effects and Medical Applications Committee, the presentation will highlight the inspiring stories and career journeys of several researchers in the field. The aim is to motivate and encourage more engineers and scientists to engage in microwave research and development, fostering innovation in this transformative domain.

Biography : Changzhi Li received a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL in 2009. He is a Professor and the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs at the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, Texas Tech University. His research interest is microwave/millimeter-wave sensing for healthcare, security, and human-machine interface.

   Dr. Li is an MTT-S Emeritus Distinguished Microwave Lecturer. He was a recipient of the IET A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize, the ASEE Frederick Emmons Terman Award, the IEEE MTT-S Outstanding Young Engineer Award, the IEEE Sensors Council Early Career Technical Achievement Award, and the IEEE-HKN Outstanding Young Professional Award. He was the General Chair of the 2024 IEEE Radio & Wireless Week (RWW), and an Associate Editor of the IEEE JOURNAL OF ELECTROMAGNETICS, RF AND MICROWAVES IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY. He served as the chair of the MTT-S Technical Committee “Biological Effect and Medical Applications of RF and Microwave” from 2018 to 2019, the TPC Chair of the 2022 IEEE RWW, a TPC Co-Chair of the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Biomedical Conference (IMBioC) from 2018 to 2019, and the TPC Chair of the IEEE Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference from 2012 to 2013. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

Abstract : Doppler radar technology can measure human physiological activity for a wide range of biomedical needs. Compact economical radar systems have been demonstrated as a non-invasive means of measuring vital signs through clothing and bedding, including heart and respiratory rates and signatures, activity, sleep posture, tidal respiratory volume, and pulse pressure. The value of such physiological monitoring extends beyond healthcare for applications including search and rescue, secure authentication, and smart buildings. This talk will provide an overview of state of the art in Doppler radar physiological monitoring and related applications.

Biography : Victor M. Lubecke (Fellow, IEEE) received the B.S. degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA, in 1986, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, in 1990 and 1995, respectively. He is currently a Professor of electrical and computer engineering with the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA. He was previously with Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ, USA, where his research focused on remote sensing technologies for biomedical and industrial applications and on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and 3-D wafer-scale integration technologies for wireless and optical communications. Before that, he was with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA, and the Institute for Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Tokyo, Japan, where his research involved terahertz and MEMS receiver technologies for space remote sensing and communications applications. He has authored or coauthored more than 250 peer-reviewed research articles and holds eight U.S. patents. His research interests include remote sensing, biomedical sensors, MEMS, heterogeneous integration, and microwave/terahertz radio. He co-founded and was a CTO with Kai Medical, Inc., Honolulu, and co-founded Adnoviv, Inc., Honolulu, where he is a Vice President. Dr. Lubecke is a Fulbright Senior Scholar, an emeritus Distinguished Microwave Lecturer of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) Society, and a Speakers Bureau Speaker. Prof. Lubecke was a Topic Editor of IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, the Vice-Chair for the 2017 IEEE International Microwave Symposium, and a member of the MTT Technical Committees for Terahertz Technology and Applications and Biological Effects and Medical Applications.

Abstract: Doppler radar technology can measure human physiological activity for a wide range of biomedical needs. Compact economical radar systems have been demonstrated as a non-invasive means of measuring vital signs through clothing and bedding, including heart and respiratory rates and signatures, activity, sleep posture, tidal respiratory volume, and pulse pressure. The value of such physiological monitoring extends beyond healthcare for applications including search and rescue, secure authentication, and smart buildings. This talk will provide an overview of state of the art in Doppler radar physiological monitoring and related applications.

Biography: Olga Boric-Lubecke (Fellow, IEEE) received the B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, in 1989, the M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, in 1990, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, in 1995. She is currently a Professor of electrical and computer engineering with the University of Hawai’i at Manoa ¯ (UH), Honolulu, HI, USA. Before joining UH, she was with Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ, USA, the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Sendai, Japan, and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, where she conducted research in RFIC technology and biomedical applications of wireless systems. She co-founded and was the Chief Technical Advisor of a startup company, Kai Medical, Honolulu. She is also a co-founder and the President of Adnoviv, Inc., Honolulu. She has authored more than 250 journal and conference publications, two books, and several book chapters. She holds three patents, and her research has been featured by various media outlets. Her research interests include wireless circuits and systems, biomedical applications, and renewable energy. Prof. Boric-Lubecke is a Fulbright Senior Scholar, a Foreign Member of the Academy of Engineering of Serbia, and a Distinguished Member of the National Academy of Inventors, UH Chapter. She was the co-recipient of the Emerging Technology Award at TechConnect 2007. She was the adviser-author of several award-winning IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society and IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Student Papers. She was the Workshop Chair for the 2003 IEEE IMS, the Technical Program Vice-Chair for the 2007 IEEE IMS, the Technical Program Co-Chair for the 2017 IEEE IMS, and the 2018 IEEE IMS Technical Program Advisor. She was an Associate Editor for IEEE MICROWAVE AND WIRELESS COMPONENTS LETTERS and IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MICROWAVE THEORY AND TECHNIQUES.