Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/25496-november-armms-conference-in-good-health

November ARMMS conference in good health

November 16, 2015

Proving that it has its finger on the pulse regarding innovative technology that has relevant and clear applications in everyday life the November meeting of the Keysight sponsored ARMMS RF & Microwave Society featured a strong healthcare theme. Dr Peter Jarritt of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust presented: RF in Healthcare-Friend or Foe, where he reviewed key RF applications, the physical interactions that are exploited and often limit the application and the risks and benefits in the healthcare environment, together with the regulatory framework that needs to be applied.

In the fight against the spread of disease, Dr Jonny Lees of Cardiff University covered Microwave Power Amplifiers, Resonant Structures and the Rapid Diagnosis of C-difficile and other Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, describing how high-efficiency microwave amplifiers and microwave resonant cavities are enabling a prototype bacterial DNA detection system that is able to identify specific pathogens within minutes.

The prevention of disease was also addressed by Dr George Chi Tangyie of De Montfort University, whose paper: Microwave-enhanced Heterogeneous Catalytic Decomposition of Carbetamide and Chloroluron considered the enhanced treatment of waste water using microwave radiation.

These were among 15 technical papers presented to delegates from across the RF and Microwave industry who convened at Wyboston Lakes Conference Centre (near Cambridge, UK) for the bi-annual gathering of engineers, academics and business people. The quality of the presentations was exceptionally high and credit goes to Professor Chris Oxley of De Montfort University for assembling an interesting selection of papers.

The voting by the delegates for the NI/AWR sponsored Steve Evans-Pughe Memorial Prize for the best paper was close, with the £200 award going to Dr Rajan Bedi of Spacechips Ltd. for his paper: 18 GHz In, 6 GHz Out; Satellite Transponders Without Local Oscillators or Mixers, which described the state of the art in software defined radio for space flight applications. The second place prize of £50 went to Dr. Jonny Lees.

The RF & Microwave Society encourages young engineers by sponsoring up to two engineers (aged 28 and under) per conference and the November awards went to Sarah Heywood of e2v for her paper on heterodyne mixing of acoustic waves and Mofei Guo of Birmingham University for the description of a new design methodology of multi-passband filters. The award covers all conference fees and a £100 contribution towards travel costs.

Also, a prize draw sponsored by Interlligent UK saw Gareth Dobbs, Design Engineer at Phase 2 Microwave Ltd., walk away with a drone.

The well established table-top exhibition, which was overflowing and oversubscribed featured 20 table top displays and offered a place to discover the practical tools to compliment the subject matter of the conference. It also provided networking opportunities during coffee breaks and the lunch session, while the society dinner on the first evening also afforded networking opportunities and more...

The next ARMMS RF & Microwave Society meeting will be held on 18-19 April, 2016 at the Oxford Belfry, UK.