Sensor

A method of coupling electromagnetic radiation into a biological material of a human or animal using a sensor measurement device, the sensor measurement device comprising:

• a transmitter comprising:
• a first antenna configured to generate electromagnetic radiation to penetrate a biological material, the electromagnetic radiation having a first wavelength between 30 micrometers and 3 centimeters;
• and
• a first anti-reflection device arranged to transmit electromagnetic radiation of the first wavelength emitted by the first antenna into the biological material, the first anti-reflection device comprising a first metamaterial comprising:
• a substrate component having a thickness no greater than the first wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation;
• and
• a plurality of elements supported by the substrate component, wherein the plurality of elements are spaced apart from one another across the substrate component, wherein each element has a first dimension no greater than the first wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation and wherein at least two of the elements of the plurality of elements differ in shape and/or size;
• and
• a receiver comprising a second antenna configured to receive electromagnetic radiation from the biological material,
• the sensor measurement device being a single a self-contained unit physically associating together the transmitter and the receiver,
• the method comprising:
• positioning the sensor measurement device with respect to the human or animal such that the transmitter is disposed outside the human or animal, and such that the receiver is disposed outside the human or animal;
• providing electromagnetic radiation having the first wavelength from the first antenna to the first anti-reflection device;
• transmitting, by the first anti-reflection device, electromagnetic radiation having the first wavelength from the first antenna into the biological material;
• receiving, by the receiver, electromagnetic radiation from the biological material;
• and
• characterizing the biological material based on the received radiation.

A non-invasive sensor measurement device for sensing a property of a biological tissue of a human or animal, the sensor measurement device comprising:

• a transmitter comprising:
• a first antenna configured to generate electromagnetic radiation to penetrate the biological material, the electromagnetic radiation having a first wavelength between 30 micrometers and 3 centimeters;
• and
• a first anti-reflection device arranged to transmit electromagnetic radiation of the first wavelength emitted by the first antenna into the biological material, the first anti-reflection device comprising a first metamaterial comprising:
• a substrate component having a thickness no greater than the first wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation;
• and
• a plurality of elements supported by the substrate component, wherein the plurality of elements are spaced apart from one another across the substrate component, wherein each element has a first dimension no greater than the first wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation and wherein at least two of the elements of the plurality of elements differ in shape and/or size;
• and
• a receiver comprising a second antenna configured to receive electromagnetic radiation from the biological material,
• wherein the transmitter and receiver are configured to be positioned outside a skin of the human or animal such that the biological material is disposed in a radiation path between the first antenna and the second antenna and with the first anti-reflection device in a radiation path between the first antenna and the biological material, such that radiation of the first wavelength can be transmitted from the first anti-reflection device into the biological material and electromagnetic radiation from the biological material can be received by the second antenna;
• and
• wherein the sensor measurement device is a self-contained wearable device or is a self-contained handheld device.