Data Independent Radar Beamforming Algorithms for Breast Cancer Detection

Abstract

Abstract-Ultra wideband (UWB) Microwave imaging is one of the most promising emerging imaging technologies for breast cancer detection, and is based on the dielectric contrast between normal and cancerous tissues at microwave frequencies. UWB radar imaging involves illuminating the breast with a microwave pulse and reflected signals are used to determine the presence and location of significant dielectric scatterers, which may be representative of cancerous tissue within the breast. Beamformers are used to spatially focus the reflected signals and to compensate for path dependent attenuation and phase effects. While these beamforming algorithms have often been evaluated in isolation, variations in experimental conditions and metrics prompts the assessment of the beamformers on common anatomically and dielectrically representative breast models in order to effectively compare the performance of each. This paper seeks to investigate the following beamforming algorithms: Monostatic and Multistatic DelayAnd-Sum (DAS), Delay-Multiply-And-Sum (DMAS) and Improved Delay-And-Sum (IDAS). The performance of each beamformer is evaluated across a range of appropriate metrics.

Breast Cancer Detection Based on Differential Ultrawideband Microwave Radar

“…Let X1 (i,j) represent the backscattered signal from the first scan, transmitted from antenna i and received at antenna j. Similarly, let X2 (i,j) represent the corresponding multistatic [7][8][9] signal from the second scan. The difference signal, δ (i,j) , can then be be calculated as follows:…”

“…Ex-vivo tissue samples examined by Lazebnik et al [10] indicate the dielectric contrast between fibroglandular and cancerous tissues may no longer be sufficient to clearly identify cancerous regions within UWB images of a dielectrically heterogeneous breast [8,9].…”

“…A UWB pulse is transmitted into the breast and electromagnetic reflections are generated, due to the dielectric contrast between certain tissues, particularly cancerous and fatty tissues. These reflections are recorded by the receiving antennas and processed using an image formation algorithm to create an energy profile of the breast [3][4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

RF breast cancer detection employing a noncharacterized vivaldi antenna and a MUSIC-inspired algorithm

“…Delay and sum procedure (and their different variants [6]), time-reversal algorithm [7] and the distributional approach [8] are a few of focusing algorithms based on linear inversion. Of course, as simplified models are employed, only "qualitative" information can be gathered and, hence, a further classification step is generally needed [9].…”

LPA 2D-DOA Estimation for Fast Nonstationary Sources Using New Array Geometry Configuration

“…Also, it plays a key role in enhancing the performance of adaptive antenna arrays for wireless communication system and other numerous applications in the field of radar and sonar [2,3]. Therefore, research has been accomplished about DOA estimation during last recent decades.…”