Breast Cancer Imaging Using Hybrid Graded Slabs Metamaterial Lens

Abstract

Breast cancer is considered a major reason of mortality among women worldwide, re-quiring early diagnoses and detection techniques with balance of accuracy, safety, and patient comfort. This study proposed a hybrid Microwave (MW) imaging system con-tains a graded quartz slab lens followed by a metamaterial array (PGSL) for focusing the MW radiation into the proposed multilayer breast model to enhance tumor detection. The proposed system addresses the restriction of X-ray mammography, including ioni-zation radiation, patient discomfort, and poor sensitivity in dense breast tissue. A mul-ti-layered breast model (PRBM) with skin, fat, and fibro glandular layers was simulated using CST MW Studio with its Finite Element Modeling capability to evaluate tumor detection performance. Results demonstrate the clear detection of 2 mm tumors in both fat and fibro glandular layers. The PGSL accomplished a resolution of 1 mm. This non-invasive, cost-effective proposed technique offers high contrast due to the tissue di-electric properties, and water content between healthy and malignant tissues, position-ing MW imaging as a viable alternative for early-stage diagnostics.