Experimental Detection of Early-Stage Lung and Skin Tumors Based on Super Wideband Imaging

Abstract

In this paper, a super wideband (SWB) radio frequency imaging approach is developed and evaluated for detecting early stages of deep-seated lung and in-situ skin tumors. A life-sized human torso phantom is constructed of tissue mimicking materials and their dielectric properties are thoroughly investigated over the covered frequency range of 3.1−40 GHz. An array of custom-designed antenna elements is employed in an imaging setup to assess the detection capabilities of the SWB imaging approach for both lung and skin tumors. Images reconstructed using the acquired backscattering information and confocal beamforming algorithms demonstrate a successful detection with accurate tumor size and location estimation. Compared to present ultra-wideband (UWB) approach, the proposed SWB approach can enhance the spatial resolution of the reconstructed images by up to 84.4%. This work establishes the foundation for further exploration of SWB imaging in clinical trials, offering the potential to transform early cancer detection and treatment monitoring.