Active Sensor Array for UWB Breast-Cancer Screening

Abstract

A microwave imaging system processes scattered electromagnetic fields in the microwave region to create images. It is an alternative or complementary imaging tool that can be used in breast cancer imaging. It employs non-ionising radiation and during measurement, compression of the scanned body part is avoided. These benefits potentially lead to safer and more comfortable examinations. It also has the potential to be both sensitive and specific to detect small tumors, whilst being much lower cost than current methods, such as magnetic resonant imaging, mammography and ultrasound. This thesis reports a multi-layer active antenna array for breast imaging using microwaves from 3 GHz to 8 GHz. The proposed structure resolves the outstanding problem in the design of large active antenna arrays for tissue imaging, namely, the isolation of the antennas from the electronic circuits. A ground plane within the multi-layer design separates the antenna array from the electronics array while providing shielding to the antennas from the back and improved power coupling into the tissue. The possibility of a high-speed vertical connector to provide interconnection between the antenna array and the mixer array is investigated and measurements show that it could be utilized for the frequency range from 3 GHz to 8 GHz.