title: A computational investigation of microwave breast imaging using deformable reflector.
abstract: In recent years, active microwave breast imaging is increasingly being viewed as a promising complementary imaging modality for cancer detection. In this paper, we present a novel deformable reflector microwave tomography technique for noninvasive characterization of the breast tissue. In contrast to conventional multitransceiver designs, the proposed technique utilizes a continuously deformable reflector with metallic coating to acquire field measurements for imaging. Computational feasibility of the proposed technique to image heterogeneous dielectric tissue property is evaluated using simplified 2-D breast models. The robustness of the deformable reflector-based tomography technique in imaging the spatial distribution of the tissue dielectric property in the presence of measurement noise is investigated using first-order Tikhonov regularization. Preliminary results obtained for the 2-D breast models appear promising and indicate further investigation of the new microwave tomography technique for breast imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. kavitha.arunachalam@duke.edu
authors.forename: Kavitha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arunachalam
authors.forename: Lalita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Udpa
authors.forename: Satish S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Udpa
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008872:Microwaves; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014054:Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods