Abstract
Prior information about the average dielectric properties of breast tissue can be implemented in microwave breast imaging techniques to improve the results. Rapidly providing this information relies on acquiring a limited number of measurements and processing these measurement with efficient algorithms. Previously, systems were developed to measure the transmission of microwave signals through breast tissue, and simplifications were applied to estimate the average properties. These methods provided reasonable estimates, but they were sensitive to multipath. In this paper, a new technique to analyze the average properties of breast tissues while addressing multipath is presented. Three steps are used to process transmission measurements. First, the effects of multipath were removed. In cases where multipath is present, multiple peaks were observed in the time domain. A Tukey window was used to time-gate a single peak and, therefore, select a single path through the breast. Second, the antenna response was deconvolved from the transmission coefficient to isolate the response from the tissue in the breast interior. The antenna response was determined through simulations. Finally, the complex permittivity was estimated using an iterative approach. This technique was validated using simulated and physical homogeneous breast models and tested with results taken from a recent patient study.
Highlights
Microwave breast imaging has been proposed to detect and diagnose malignant breast tissue, to monitor breast health and to assess breast density
The objective of the work presented in this paper is to develop a new method to analyze transmission coefficients recorded at the shielded sensors in order to provide an accurate average dielectric properties (DPs) estimation
For each combination of parameters, the complex permittivity was found with Equation (1), and the path loss was found with Equation (4)
Summary
Microwave breast imaging has been proposed to detect and diagnose malignant breast tissue, to monitor breast health and to assess breast density. To date, limited work has been reported on microwave measurements with ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors in contact with the skin (e.g., [14,15]) and on developing methods to estimate the average DPs from such measurements. The objective of the work presented in this paper is to develop a new method to analyze transmission coefficients recorded at the shielded sensors in order to provide an accurate average DP estimation. This method must be resistant to multipath and provide a complex permittivity estimate over a wide range of frequencies.
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