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Student Name: Mr. Wee Chang Khor
Project Title: Microwave Imaging for Medical Applications
Project Supervisor: Professor Marek E. Bialkowski, PhD, DEng and Fellow IEEE
Professor Stuart Crozier, PhD, DEng and Fellow InsP
Project Summary:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in various parts of the world. In Australia alone it is estimated that one in eleven women will develop breast cancer at some stage in their lifetime. Early detection and effective treatment is the only way of decreasing the mortality rate due to breast cancer. Currently the primary method used in breast cancer screening is Screening mammography (Special breast X-ray).
Screening mammography has saved many lives, but the technology still produces a relativity high number of false negative and false positive diagnoses. There is also health concerns related to exposure to ionizing radiation.
The above factors have generated interest in alternative approaches to breast imaging. One alternative solution is to use Magnetic Resonant Imaging (MRI). MRI is found to be useful for examining women with implants; however MRI equipment and installation is very expensive and the technology is still in the testing stage.
This research proposal proposes using Microwave Imaging as a viable alternative to X-ray mammography. Microwave imaging system is essentially a “breast tissue radar”. It involves the propagation of very low levels (1000 times less than a mobile phone) of microwave energy through the breast tissue to measure electrical properties.
This is primarily because of the difference between the electrical properties of normal and malignant tissues. Normal breast tissue is largely transparent to microwave radiation while malignant tissues which contain more water and blood will scatter microwave back toward their source. The antenna array picks up these reflected signals, which can be analysed using a computer to construct a three dimensional image showing the malignant tissues’ location and size.
There are several possible advantages in using a microwave imaging system.
1) More comfortable as no breast compression is needed.
2) No Exposure to Ionising radiation
3) Lower cost as Microwave Equipment are cheaper than MRI equipments
4) Possibility of being more accurate than conventional mammograph.
This research project includes the design and construction of a Microwave Imaging system and the development of various software to simulate, model and control the entire system.
With low cost and low level of radiation used, it may be possible for Health organisations to offer free screening for woman of all ages on a yearly basis, instead of the current practice of one mammography every two years for woman above the age of forty. With radiation level lower than mobile phones, this may actually encourage more women to have regular breast screening, thus increasing the chances of early detection and treatment.
References
[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare & Australasian Association of Cancer Registries(AACR), “Cancer in Australia 2001” AIHW cat. No.CAN23. Canberra: AIHW(Cancer Series no. 28), pp64-68, 2004
[2] E.C. Fear, S.C. Hagness, P.M. Meaney, M. Okoniewski and M.A. Stuchly, “Enhancing Breast Tumor Detection with Near-Field Imaging” IEEE Microwave Magazine, pp48-56, March 2002
[3] E.C. Fear P.M. Meaney and M.A. Stuchly, “Microwave for breast cancer detection” IEEE potentials pp12-18, 2003.
[4] MARIBS study group, “Screening with magnetic resonance imaging and mammography of a UK population at high familial risk of breast cancer: a prospective multicentre cohort study” The Lancet, Vol 365, pp1769-78, 2005
For more information please email : Professor Marek E. Bialkowski or Mr Wee Chang Khor
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last updated : 30 December 2005