A Prototype System for Measuring Microwave Frequency Reflections from the Breast

Microwave imaging of the breast is of interest for monitoring breast health, and approaches to active microwave imaging include tomography and radar-based methods. While the literature contains a growing body of work related to microwave breast imaging, there are only a few prototype systems that ha...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: J. Bourqui, J. M. Sill, E. C. Fear
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:International Journal of Biomedical Imaging
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/851234
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Summary:Microwave imaging of the breast is of interest for monitoring breast health, and approaches to active microwave imaging include tomography and radar-based methods. While the literature contains a growing body of work related to microwave breast imaging, there are only a few prototype systems that have been used to collect data from humans. In this paper, a prototype system for monostatic radar-based imaging that has been used in an initial study measuring reflections from volunteers is discussed. The performance of the system is explored by examining the mechanical positioning of sensor, as well as microwave measurement sensitivity. To gain insight into the measurement of reflected signals, simulations and measurements of a simple phantom are compared and discussed in relation to system sensitivity. Finally, a successful scan of a volunteer is described.
ISSN:1687-4188
1687-4196