Advances in the 3-D forward-backward time-stepping (FBTS) inverse scattering technique for breast cancer detection.

This paper presents recent advances in a 3-D inverse scattering technique, called forward-backward time-stepping (FBTS), applied to the reconstruction of the microwave properties of the breast. The FBTS algorithm is utilized for a numerical-based study of a 3-D breast model based on an MRI. Several illumination schemes, based on different microwave transmitter/receiver configurations, are compared based on the quality of the reconstructed images of the breast model. A combination of cylindrical and planar arrays is shown to provide accurate estimates of the model electrical parameters that delineate the various regions of the breast. Although further analysis with this combination array demonstrates that tumors of reduced size and reduced contrast with the surrounding fibroglandular region are much more difficult (and in some cases not possible) to reconstruct, the study presents some promising initial results of a reconstruction technique for breast imaging and cancer detection.