Design, Algorithms, and Applications of Microstrip Antennas for Image Acquisition: Systematic Review

This systematic literature review investigates microstrip antenna applications in image acquisition, focusing on their design characteristics, reconstruction algorithms, and application areas. We applied the PRISMA methodology for article selection. From selected studies, classifications were identified based on antenna patch geometry, substrate types, and image reconstruction algorithms. According to inclusion criteria, a significant increase in publications on this topic has been observed since 2013. Considering this trend, our study focuses on a 10-year publication range, including articles up to 2023. Results indicate that medical applications, particularly breast cancer detection, dominate this field. However, emerging areas are gaining attention, including stroke detection, bone fracture monitoring, security surveillance, avalanche radars, and weather monitoring. Our study highlights the need for more efficient algorithms, system miniaturization, and improved models to achieve precise medical imaging. Visual tools such as heatmaps and box plots are used to provide a deeper analysis, identify knowledge gaps, and offer valuable insights for future research and development in this versatile technology.