School of Engineering, University of Greenwich, Kent, UK.
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2010 May;57(5):1003-7. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2009.2038788. Epub 2010 Feb 17.
This letter investigates the feasibility of applying contrast agents for lesion classification in ultra wideband (UWB) breast imaging. Previous study has focused on distinguishing benign from malignant masses by exploiting their morphology-dependent backscatter signature via the complex natural resonances of the late-time target response. The tissue differentiation capability, however, deteriorates severely if the intrinsic contrast between the dielectric properties of dysplastic and normal tissues are small. A possible solution to this problem is proposed in this letter via the use of microwave contrast agents, where the damping factors of the differential backscatter responses before and after the infusion of contrast agents to a dysplastic inclusion are used to correlate with the anomaly shapes. The feasibility of this approach for lesion classification is demonstrated through comprehensive simulation studies using realistic numerical breast models.
这封信研究了在超宽带 (UWB) 乳房成像中应用对比剂进行病变分类的可行性。之前的研究主要集中在通过利用晚期目标响应的复杂自然共振来区分良性和恶性肿块，从而区分良性和恶性肿块，通过利用病变组织的形态特征来区分其背向散射信号特征。然而，如果病变组织与正常组织的介电常数之间的固有对比度较小，则其组织区分能力会严重恶化。本文提出了一种可能的解决方案，即通过使用微波对比剂，利用注入对比剂前后的差分背向散射响应的阻尼因子与异常形状相关联。通过使用现实的数值乳房模型进行全面的模拟研究，证明了这种方法在病变分类中的可行性。
