Method for Robust Estimation of the Resonance Frequency of Microwave Biosensors

In this work, a procedure for robust estimation of the resonance frequency of microwave biosensors is presented. Usually, the sensor response is captured at a finite number of frequencies. Hence, inadequately fine frequency sampling step and the presence of noise negatively affect the estimation quality. The possibility to robustly evaluate the resonance frequency by exploiting efficient spectral estimation algorithms is demonstrated in the present contribution. This allows the use of inexpensive and lightweight devices suitable for self-monitoring. The method is validated against numerical and experimental data, the latter referring return loss measurements of a microwave patch antenna used for blood glucose monitoring.