First-to-Market Radio-Wave Breast Imaging System Achieved with Network Analyzer

Since 2008, the global incidence of breast cancer has increased by more than 20%, and mortality rates have risen by 14%. The survival rate for late-stage breast cancer is 24%. Mammography, the most commonly used method of detection, misses up to 50% of cancers in dense breast tissue.

With mammography, radiologists must differentiate very small differences in visual contrast. Factors such as breast density often mask what they need to see. Because the dielectric contrast between cancerous cells and healthy breast tissue is as high as 10 to 1, radio waves can detect these significant differences. This method offers new diagnostic information in dense tissue while requiring no patient discomfort due to breast compression. In addition, patients can, from a young age, frequently undergo breast imaging technique based on radiowave technology because they are not exposed to hazardous ionizing radiation. Recognizing the potential impact of such a technology on breast cancer detection and mortality rates, Micrima’s founders decided to develop a radiowave breast-imaging system.

The Key Issues: Improve Breast Cancer Detection and Reduce Mortality Rates

Micrima named its radio-wave breast-imaging system MARIA (Multistatic Array Radio-wave Image Acquisition). MARIA uses harmless radio waves to create threedimensional breast volumes. It works on the principle that cancerous cells have very different dielectric properties from those of healthy breast tissue.

For prototype development, it is essential to have a system that meets the specific needs and requirements throughout the process. The system must be low cost and support application-specific bandwidths of microwave frequencies that the antenna transmits and receives. Additionally, it must offer sufficient dynamic range and speed to enable analysis of the received signal and complete acquisition of all necessary data channels.

The Solution: A Fast, Compact Network Analyzer

Keysight has been supporting Micrima’s efforts since before it spun out from research at the University of Bristol. Micrima’s imaging technology consists of a data acquisition system and an imaging algorithm. The acquisition system consists of 60 antennas, configured to operate over a wide range of frequencies. Each antenna transmits while the other 59 record the signal back from the breast tissue, enabling MARIA to build a 3D map of tissue variation throughout the breast

Keysight’s network analyzer addressed Micrima’s requirements for a data acquisition system that consisted of an antenna array, switches, and a 16-port VNA (Keysight 8xM9372A per MARIA) operating at between 3 and 8 GHz. The M9372A is a full twoport VNA that fits in a single PXI slot and helps drive down the size of the system. The PXI VNA offers the widest frequency range available, with six models that operate from 300 kHz to 4, 6.5, 9, 14, 20, or 26.5 GHz. With its best-in-industry speed, dynamic range, and trace noise, the PXI VNA helps improve accuracy, yield, and margin.