Tracking a biopsy needle inside a breast using UWB circular-SAR

This paper explores the possibility of guiding a biopsy needle inside a breast in real time using ultra-wideband (UWB) circular synthetic aperture radar (CSAR). Collecting a biopsy of a tumor growth inside a breast at the right location is essential for accurate diagnosis. In order to do so, real time navigation and imaging of the tumor location and the biopsy needle is critical. Using very short electromagnetic pulses (~100 Picosecond) with CSAR processing we demonstrate that one can perform near real time tracking of a biopsy needle to an accuracy of few millimeters. Signal processing techniques, such as envelop detection and generating positive image, are applied to enhance the image quality. The experimental results support the possibility of real time tracking of a biopsy needle.