Dynamic Range Limitations of a Microwave Imaging Setup for Breast Cancer Detection

There are multiple microwave breast imaging (MBI) systems that are already conducting clinical trials. One common feature of these systems is the use of expensive radio-frequency (RF) laboratory equipment, such as vector network analyzers (VNA). To replace the VNA in an MBI setup with a significantly more cost-effective radar system, it is necessary to derive suitable hardware specifications. A fundamental parameter is the dynamic range, defined as the ratio of the maximum to the minimum usable signal power. A modern VNA can support a dynamic range of more than 120 dB. However, it might not be necessary for the radar system to match the VNA's dynamic range specifications. This is because the MBI setup itself affects the usable dynamic range. In this work, we investigate how much the usable dynamic range of an MBI setup is limited by clutter and noise. For this purpose, we utilize a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar system operating from 6–14 GHz. Our results demonstrate the need to analyze the entire imaging setup rather than a single component to define the appropriate hardware parameters.