R Benjamin

Radar-Based Breast Cancer Detection Using a Hemispherical Antenna Array—Experimental Results

In this contribution, an ultrawideband (UWB) microwave system for breast cancer detection is presented. The system is based on a novel hemispherical real-aperture antenna array, which is employed in a multi-static radar-based detection system. The array consists of 16 UWB aperture-coupled stacked-patch antennas located on a section of a hemisphere. The radar system is designed to be used with realistic three-dimensional (3D) breast phantoms, which have been developed, as well as with real breast cancer patients during initial clinical trials. Images are formed using two different beamforming algorithms and the performance of these algorithms is firstly compared through numerical simulation. Experimental results for the same beamforming techniques are then presented, demonstrating the successful detection of 4 and 6 mm diameter spherical tumors in the curved breast phantom.

Microwave Radar-Based Differential Breast Cancer Imaging: Imaging in Homogeneous Breast Phantoms and Low Contrast Scenarios

This paper presents an improved antenna array for radar-based breast cancer imaging. The improvement was achieved by increasing the number of antennas in the array to 31 elements, as well as by improving the antenna design itself. Using an experimental setup, with homogeneous curved breast phantoms, we have demonstrated substantial imaging improvement with the new antenna array. The new system is also able to detect 7 mm-diameter tumor phantoms in any location within the breast, even as close as 4 mm from the skin layer. Additionally, we have shown good imaging results in low-contrast scenarios, where the dielectric contrast between tumor and normal tissue was reduced to 2:1. Presented results clearly demonstrate the large impact of antennas characteristics on imaging performance.

A Comparison of a Wide-Slot and a Stacked Patch Antenna for the Purpose of Breast Cancer Detection

A wide-slot UWB antenna is presented for intended use in the detection scheme being developed at the University of Bristol, based on the principle of synthetically focused UWB radar using a fully populated static array. The antennas measured and simulated, input and radiation characteristics are presented and compared to an existing, stacked patch antenna that has been designed for the same purpose. The results of this study show that the wide-slot antenna has excellent performance across the required frequency range. Compared to the stacked-patch antenna used in our previous array, the wide-slot antenna can be 3 times smaller (in terms of front surface). The compact nature of the slot antenna means that the detection array can be densely populated. Additionally, this new antenna offers better radiation coverage of the breast. For angles up to 60° away from bore-sight radiated pulses are almost identical (fidelity >95%), whereas for the patch antenna fidelity falls to 58% at the angular extremes. This uniform radiation into the breast should result in focused images with low levels of clutter.

Microwave Radar-Based Breast Cancer Detection: Imaging in Inhomogeneous Breast Phantoms

This letter presents, for the first time, experimental work on microwave breast cancer imaging using inhomogeneous breast phantoms. A recently designed 31-antenna array is used in imaging experiments. The imaging system operates in the full ultrawideband frequency range, between 3 and 10 GHz. To verify imaging performance of our system, new breast phantoms with inhomogeneous interior were developed. For three different breast phantoms presented in this work, the contrast between spherical phantom tumors and surrounding materials ranges from 5:1 to 1.6:1. Our results show that the biggest challenge in radar microwave imaging is the inhomogeneity of the volume being sensed, and not the contrast itself. In addition to experimental results, we also present the new image formation algorithm, which is a modified version of the delay-and-sum (DAS) algorithm. The new algorithm makes use of a new weighting factor, the coherence factor. The new algorithm is effective in reducing clutter, providing better images. For the most demanding imaging example presented herein, the new algorithm improves the peak clutter-to-target energy ratio by 3.1 dB.

Experimental and clinical results of breast cancer detection using UWB microwave radar

This paper presented the clinical results of breast cancer detection using a radar-based UWB microwave system developed at the University of Bristol. Additionally, the system overview and some experimental laboratory results are presented as well. For the clinical result shown in this contribution, we compare images obtained using the standard X-ray mammography and the radar-based microwave system. The developed microwave system has apparently successfully detected the tumor in correct position, as confirmed on the X-ray image, although the compression suffered by the breast during X-ray makes a precise positional determination impossible.

Improved delay-and-sum beamforming algorithm for breast cancer detection

We have evaluated a modified delay-and-sum (DAS) beamforming algorithm for breast cancer detection with a microwave radar-based system. The improved DAS algorithm uses an additional weight factor calculated at each focal point to improve image quality. These weights essentially represent the quality of preprocessing and coherent radar operation. Using a multistatic UWB radar system based on a hemispherical antenna array, we present experimental detection of 7 mm and 10 mm phantom tumours. We show that the new proposed DAS algorithm improves signal-to-clutter ratio in focused images by 2.65 dB for 10 mm tumour, and by 4.4 dB for 7 mm tumour.

Clinical trials of a multistatic UWB radar for breast imaging

This paper presents the development of a 60-element Ultra-WideBand (UWB) radar system for breast cancer detection and its use in clinical trials. The new system operates in the frequency range of 4–8GHz and is an improvement of the teams previous designs both in terms of the number of measurements made (which is increased by a factor of approximately 4) and in terms of acquisition speed. The 60-antenna radar system has undergone an extensive Clinical Trial in the Breast Care Centre at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol. The rapid data acquisition has improved the accuracy of images while also providing a clinical experience that is more convenient and acceptable to patients.

Experimental investigation of real aperture synthetically organised radar for breast cancer detection

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in woman, and early detection increases the likelihood of successful treatment and long-term survival screen film mammography is currently the most effective method for detecting breast tumours, however this technique suffers from relatively high false negative and positive detection rates, and it involves uncomfortable compression of the breast. This paper presents the experimental investigation of real aperture synthetically organised radar for breast cancer detection. The work presented herein originated as a theoretical study employing FDTD models. This contribution presents subsequent experimental validation using a mechanically-scanned 2 element antenna array and a breast phantom consisting of synthetic biological materials

Towards contrast enhanced breast imaging using ultra-wideband microwave radar system

In this paper we present numerical results of contrast-enhanced breast imaging using ultra-wideband microwave radar system. Due to low contrast in electrical properties between dense breast tissues and malignant tissues, tumor detection using microwave might be extremely challenging. To overcome this problem, we propose here a radar imaging technique based on a localized contrast enhancement. Our results show that microwave contrast agents able of changing an effective dielectric constant of cancerous tissues by only 1% would greatly improve imaging performance.

Exploiting multipath activity using low complexity equalisation techniques for high speed wireless LANs

Recent developments have shown that there is considerable interest in wireless high-speed communications. While increasing data rates causes ISI cancellation problems, it also provides the opportunity to benefit from additional multipath diversity. The use of such diversity is not unique to equalised TDMA systems, indeed it has already been exploited in CDMA systems through the RAKE receiver. This paper introduces a new decision feedback equaliser (DFE) based on the use of a channel matched filter (CMF). The DFE coefficients are directly calculated from the uniform power delay profile of the CMF. The ISI cancellation accuracy obtained using this method is comparable to the conventional RLS-Kalman algorithm, however the computation load is significantly reduced. Performance comparisons and implementation benchmarks are given for an indoor 24 Mb/s (HIPERLAN) application.