Preliminary tests on a low-cost and compact optoelectronic system for optical mammography

The work that is presented in this paper proposes a new low-cost and compact optoelectronic system for optical mammography trials. This system is based on the use of cost-off-the-shelf (COTS) optoelectronic and electronic components which are commonly used in the telecommunications industry. The main components of this novel system are based on low cost semiconductor laser diodes and avalanche photodiodes (APD's). This is backed up by the use of a versatile electronic architecture also based on telecommunication low cost components and techniques. Such methods allow research into the optimum modulation frequency for improved signal to noise ratio (SNR). To date the system has been tested on liquid phantoms formed by different concentrations of milk solutions. Results obtained from preliminary tests are within 10% of values obtained in previous publications.