Canicattì Eliana, Sánchez-Bayuela Daniel Álvarez, Romero Castellano Cristina, Aguilar Angulo Paul Martín, Giovanetti González Rubén, Cruz Hernández Lina Marcela, Ruiz Martín Juan, Tiberi Gianluigi, Monorchio Agostino
Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni (CNIT), 43124 Parma, Italy.
Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Sep 21;13(18):3015. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13183015.
Dielectric characterization has significant potential in several medical applications, providing valuable insights into the electromagnetic properties of biological tissues for disease diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring of therapeutic interventions. This work presents the use of a custom-designed electromagnetic characterization system, based on an open-ended coaxial probe, for discriminating between benign and malignant breast tissues in a clinical setting. The probe's development involved a well-balanced compromise between physical feasibility and its combined use with a reconstruction algorithm known as the virtual transmission line model (VTLM). Immediately following the biopsy procedure, the dielectric properties of the breast tissues were reconstructed, enabling tissue discrimination based on a rule-of-thumb using the obtained dielectric parameters. A comparative analysis was then performed by analyzing the outcomes of the dielectric investigation with respect to conventional histological results. The experimental procedure took place at Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo-Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Spain, where excised breast tissues were collected and subsequently analyzed using the dielectric characterization system. A comprehensive statistical evaluation of the probe's performance was carried out, obtaining a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 81.6%, 61.5%, and 73.4%, respectively, compared to conventional histological assessment, considered as the gold standard in this investigation.
介电特性在多种医学应用中具有巨大潜力，可为疾病诊断、治疗规划以及治疗干预监测提供有关生物组织电磁特性的宝贵见解。这项工作展示了一种基于开放式同轴探头的定制电磁特性表征系统在临床环境中用于区分乳腺良性和恶性组织的应用。探头的开发在物理可行性及其与一种称为虚拟传输线模型（VTLM）的重建算法的联合使用之间进行了良好平衡的折衷。活检程序完成后，立即重建乳腺组织的介电特性，从而能够根据所获得的介电参数凭经验进行组织区分。然后通过分析介电研究结果与传统组织学结果进行比较分析。实验过程在西班牙托莱多大学综合医院 - 圣维森特德拉萨尔ud医院进行，在那里收集切除的乳腺组织，随后使用介电特性表征系统进行分析。对探头性能进行了全面的统计评估，与本研究中被视为金标准的传统组织学评估相比，灵敏度、特异性和准确性分别为81.6%、61.5%和73.4%。
