Heterogeneous breast phantom development for microwave imaging using regression models.

Camerin Hahn,Sima Noghanian

doi:10.1155/2012/803607

Abstract

As new algorithms for microwave imaging emerge, it is important to have standard accurate benchmarking tests. Currently, most researchers use homogeneous phantoms for testing new algorithms. These simple structures lack the heterogeneity of the dielectric properties of human tissue and are inadequate for testing these algorithms for medical imaging. To adequately test breast microwave imaging algorithms, the phantom has to resemble different breast tissues physically and in terms of dielectric properties. We propose a systematic approach in designing phantoms that not only have dielectric properties close to breast tissues but also can be easily shaped to realistic physical models. The approach is based on regression model to match phantom's dielectric properties with the breast tissue dielectric properties found in Lazebnik et al. (2007). However, the methodology proposed here can be used to create phantoms for any tissue type as long as ex vivo, in vitro, or in vivo tissue dielectric properties are measured and available. Therefore, using this method, accurate benchmarking phantoms for testing emerging microwave imaging algorithms can be developed.

Highlights

A major problem in developing a microwave imaging systems for tumor detection is the lack of standards in benchmarking these systems using a dielectrically accurate human analog.Many researchers use objects that are physically or dielectrically dissimilar to human tissue [1,2,3]
We present an approach based on regression model to create mixtures that are both dielectrically similar and represents accurate physical and physiological properties of breast tissues
The regression equation became substantially different from the initial equation

Summary

Introduction

A major problem in developing a microwave imaging systems for tumor detection is the lack of standards in benchmarking these systems using a dielectrically accurate human analog.Many researchers use objects that are physically or dielectrically dissimilar to human tissue [1,2,3]. There are a few phantoms based on heterogeneous and dispersive breast tissue dielectric properties presented in the literature [4,5,6,7]. It is important to be able to match the dielectric properties for a variety of tissues over a span of frequency band. A systematic method for creating a mixture with desired dielectric properties was needed. This method should provide a procedure to find the required amount of each material in the mixture to match the desired permittivity and conductivity for a given frequency band. We present an approach based on regression model to create mixtures that are both dielectrically similar and represents accurate physical and physiological properties of breast tissues

Methods

Results

Conclusion