A tapered microstrip patch antenna array for use in breast cancer screening via 3D active microwave imaging

Given the measured performance of the antennas in the imaging array and the modeled scattered field data of small tumors within the human breast model, along with the known parameters associated with the other system components (e.g. losses through RF switching system and sensitivity of the measurement device), detection and screening of tumors with the clinical microwave imaging array that has been developed is certainly feasible. Since successful inversions of phantoms from previous experimental data with 3D imaging systems have already demonstrated the capability of the inversion algorithm developed at Duke, what remains is to finish implementing improvements in the hardware system (transition to MEMS based RF switching system) and to construct the Green's function from the completed forward model of the 3D prototype clinical system. From there, optimizations based on phantom imaging experiments will be performed, ultimately leading to clinical trials of the Duke 3D microwave breast imaging system.