Ultrawideband antenna array employed in a hybrid technique for detecting breast tumor embedded in glands

In this paper, the challenging imaging case when a tumor is embedded in the glands tissues of the breast is investigated. The dielectric contrast in that case can be as low as 1.2:1, and thus, microwave imaging methods that are based on the dielectric contrast have limited success. The alternative approach is to utilize the high contrast in the biomechanical properties between malignant and healthy tissues, including the gland tissues. To achieve that target, microwave pulses are used to achieve strain imaging of breast. In the proposed method, the breast is inserted in an enclosure. The upper plate of the enclosure includes an antenna array of corrugated tapered slot antennas and is attached to a compression tool. Each of the antennas is used to send an ultrawideband pulse to penetrate the breast and measure the backscattered pulse. A cross-correlation is performed on the pre- and post-compression backscattered signals to estimate the three-dimensional strain distribution in the breast. Cancerous tissues are usually much stiffer than healthy tissues. Thus, regions of low strain indicate suspicious tumors.