EFFECTS OF REDUCED CONTRAST COUPLING MEDIUM IN MICROWAVE BREAST IMAGING

摘要

The advantages of using the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum as a means of analyzing biosystems depend on two contradictory requirements: adequate spatial resolution and manageable propagation loss. Shorter wavelengths improve spatial resolution, but at the cost of increased propagation loss, The use of a suitable coupling medium contracts the wavelength, thereby improving the spatial resolution and providing lesser attenuation. The use of corn syrup as a coupling medium in microwave breast imaging is discussed in this paper. The propagation loss of the medium and the radiation characteristics of the antenna in the medium are studied. Two-dimensional microwave tomographic imaging of a breast-tissue sample immersed in corn syrup is done and improved resolution of the reconstructed image is reported.