Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/2614
Title: Numerical analysis of microwave detection of breast tumours using synthetic focussing techniques
Authors: Nilavalan, R
Leendertz, J
Craddock, IJ
Preece, A
Benjamin, R
Issue Date: 2004
Publisher: IEEE
Citation: Proceedings of the IEEE AP-S International Symposium and USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, Monterey, California, USA, June 2004. vol. 3, pp. 2440 - 2443
Abstract: Microwave detection of breast tumours is a non-ionising and potentially low-cost and more certain alternative to X-ray mammography. Analogous to ground penetrating radar (GPR), microwaves are transmitted using an antenna array and the reflected signals, which contain reflections from tumours, are recorded. The work presented here employs a post reception synthetically focussed detection method developed for land mine detection (R. Benjamin et al., IEE Proc. Radar, Sonar and Nav., vol. 148, no.4, pp. 233-40, 2001); all elements of an antenna array transmit a broadband signal in turn, the elements sharing a field of view with the current transmit element then record the received signal. By predicting the path delay between transmit and receive antennas via any desired point in the breast, it is then possible to extract and time-align all signals from that point. Repeated for all points in the breast, this yields an image in which the distinct dielectric properties of malignant tissue are potentially visible. This contribution presents a theoretical evaluation of the breast imaging system using FDTD methods. The FDTD model realistically models a practical system incorporating wide band antenna elements. One major challenge in breast cancer detection using microwaves is the clutter arising from skin interface. Deeply located tumours can be detected using windowing techniques (R. Nilavalan et al., Electronics Letters, vol. 39, pp. 1787-1789, 2003); however tumours closer to the skin interface require additional consideration, as described herein.
URI: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/2614
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/APS.2004.1331866
ISBN: 0-7803-8302-8
Appears in Collections:Electronic and Computer Engineering
Dept of Electronic and Electrical Engineering Research Papers



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