Microwave Spectrometry for the Evaluation of the Dimensions of Coronary Stents

We study microwave scattering spectra of metallic stents in open air. We show that they behave like dipole antennas in terms of microwave scattering and they exhibit characteristic resonant frequencies for a given nominal size. We obtain a fair agreement between measured frequencies and the values provided by a theoretical model for dipole antennas. This fact opens the door to obtaining methods to detect structural distortions of stents within in vitro conditions. Finally we discuss the in vivo applicability of the suggested method in terms of our theoretical model and the skin depth of microwaves in biological tissues.