Microwave Imaging via Space-Time Signal Processing for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Detection, Monitoring, and Treatment

0201880 HagnessUnder this Investigator Initiated Award，研究将进行，以开发超宽带微波成像方法，用于早期乳腺癌的检测，监测和非侵入性治疗。 恶性和正常乳腺组织之间的固有介电性质的对比提供了使用微波的恶性病变的高灵敏度检测的基础。 其目标是：1）开发鲁棒的时空信号处理算法，其利用介电性质对比度来检测和监测恶性病变，2）开发用于恶性乳腺病变的非侵入性微波热疗治疗的时空信号处理算法，3）使用解剖学上真实的数字乳腺模型来研究用于早期癌症检测、监测和治疗的方法的性能，4）开发真实的物理乳房体模和临床前硬件原型仪器，以及5）在合成乳房体模和离体乳房组织成像实验中使用临床前仪器来研究用于乳腺癌检测的方法的性能。 所提出的方法提供了一种易于使用、低成本、舒适、非电离乳腺筛查技术的潜力，该技术能够降低与传统X射线乳腺摄影相关的假阴性和假阳性率。 治疗方案将最大限度地减少乳腺癌妇女的并发症、不适和侵入性手术的需要。

0201880HagnessUnder this Investigator Initiated Award, studies will be preformed to develop an ultrawideband microwave imaging method for detection, monitoring and noninvasive treatment of early-stage breast cancer. The intrinsic dielectric-properties contrast between malignant and normal breast tissue provides the basis for highly sensitive detection of malignant lesions using microwaves. The objectives are to: 1) develop robust space-time signal processing algorithms that exploit the dielectric-properties contrast for the detection and monitoring of malignant lesions, 2) develop space-time signal-processing algorithms for non-invasive microwave hyperthermia treatment of malignant breast lesions, 3) investigate the performance of the approach for early-stage cancer detection, monitoring, and treatment using anatomically realistic numerical breast models, 4) develop realistic physical breast phantoms and pre-clinical hardware prototype instrumentation, and 5) investigate the performance of the approach for breast cancer detection using the pre-clinical instrument in both synthetic breast phantom and ex vivo breast tissue imaging experiments. The proposed approach offers the potential of a easy-to-use, low cost, comfortable, non-ionizing breast screening technology capable of reducing the rate of false negatives and false positives associated with conventional X-ray mammography. The treatment protocol will minimize the complications, discomfort, and need for invasive procedures for women with breast cancer.