Software-Defined Radio Assessment for Microwave Imaging Breast Cancer Detection

This paper presents an evaluation of a low-cost apparatus for Stepped-Frequency Continuous Wave (SFCW) radar-based Microwave Imaging (MWI) systems aimed at breast cancer detection. Software Defined Radio (SDR) is a programmable device with the potential to circumvent the Vector Network Analyzer usage to realize an MWI system, especially during the prototyping stage, once the more suitable system is not established yet. BladeRF, an SDR platform, coupled to a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier, and using two Vivaldi antennas, has been assessed in terms of the radio power ability. The measured results have shown that the bladeRF can provide up to +15dBm output power at 1 GHz carrier frequency and close to -10dBm at 6 GHz, and distinguish a received signal as low as -80dBm from the Vivaldi antenna. Moreover, a noise floor larger than -70dB has been seen along with the carrier frequency increase. These results have motivated an MWI system prototype comprised of a bladeRF SDR and Vivaldi antennas.