Intelligent Tomographic Microwave Imaging for Breast Tumor Localization

Abstract

Researchers are continuously exploring the potential use of microwave imaging in the early detection of breast cancer. The technique offers a promising alternative to mammography, a standard clinical imaging procedure today. The contrast in dielectric properties between normal and cancerous tissues makes microwave imaging a viable technique for detecting breast cancer. Experimental results are presented in this paper that demonstrate the detection of breast cancer using microwaves operating at 2.4 GHz. The procedure involves antenna fabrication, phantom tissue development, and image reconstruction. Design and fabrication of patch antenna are used in the study, described in detail. The patch antenna pair is used for transmitting and receiving source waves. Tissue mimicking models were developed from paraffin wax and glycerin for the dielectric constants of 9 and 47, respectively, representing the tissue and tumor. Further, AI-based tomographic images were obtained by implementing a filtered back-projection algorithm in the computer. In the results, the presence of the tumor is quantitatively analyzed.