Experimental Microwave Breast Cancer Detection with Oil-in-Gelatin Phantom

Breast phantoms based on oil-in-gelatine emulsions can reproduce the electric properties of various normal and malignant breast tissues. They comprise materials which contain varying percentages of a solution of 50% kerosene, 50% safflower oil and gelatine, providing a wide range of dielectric properties [1]. A breast phantom was manufactured in order to reproduce heterogeneous and anthropomorphic structures with stable mechanical and electromagnetic properties (Fig. 1a). The dispersive behavior of skin, adipose, fibro-connective, fibro-glandular and tumor properties was measured over a large frequency range spanning from 500 MHz to 4 GHz using a coaxial probe (Fig. 1b). The detection of a 5-mm diameter tumor was evaluated through a printed monopole antenna that scanned the phantom in a mono-static radar configuration.