Ultra wideband microwave system with novel image reconstruction strategies for breast cancer detection

The paper reports the design of an ultra wideband (UWB) microwave imaging system for breast cancer detection. The system uses a circular array formed by twelve UWB Tapered Slot Antennas (TSAs) operating over a 3.0-11.0GHz band which are connected to a Vector Network Analyser (VNA) with two single-pole multiple-through microwave coaxial switches. Using this electronic switching network with an additional mechanical movement of the array, the system collects the 3.0-11.0 GHz reflection coefficient data at an angular step of 15°. The collected data is used to construct a microwave image indicating regions of an increased scatter. To reduce the effect of the air-imaged body interface, the proposed imaging algorithm uses the difference data from adjacent antenna locations. The operation of the system and validity of the proposed imaging algorithm is investigated in an example of a simple breast phantom formed by a circular plastic container filled with a vegetable oil and plastic straws filled with water.