Sensitivity Analysis of a Portable Microwave Breast Cancer Detection System

Abstract

A prototype portable breast microwave sensing (BMS) system for early breast cancer detection has been developed in our lab. In this paper, we provide preliminary results for the response of the antenna sensor array to a point scatterer, using both simulation and experiment. The portable system uses a horn antenna to transmit frequencies from 1.5 GHz to 6 GHz and a sensor array using thirteen patch antennas. The optimal separation of each antenna in the receiver array was calculated to be 4 mm based on an envelope correlation coefficient of 0.37. The BMS system, including the horn antenna, was designed in CST Microwave Studio to mimic the experimental setup. This study compares the E-field characteristics and DC voltages for each sensor, using simulation and experimental results, for both a free air system and with an Aluminum rod placed at different positions in the scanning plane. A 13×10 array of geometric correction constants was calculated from the simulated E-field. The range of difference between the simulated and experimental results was -4% to 3% for open space conditions and ±20% when an Aluminum rod was placed at different positions in the scanning plane. The preliminary results are promising and provide some insight as to where improvements must be made to enhance the detection ability of the portable system.