Towards a microwave imaging prototype based on the DBIM-TwIST algorithm and a custom-made transceiver system

A microwave imaging prototype that uses a novel electromagnetic inverse scattering algorithm based on the distorted Born iterative method (DBIM) and the two-step iterative shrinkage thresholding (TwIST) algorithm to solve the linear problem at each DBIM iteration is presented. In previous work, the algorithm has been tested in simulations with realistic numerical breast phantoms, which demonstrated its resolution capabilities relative to traditional CGLS solvers, and its ability to take advantage of the whole frequency range of 1.0-3.0 GHz to produce high resolution images. This work is a preliminary investigation of the potential of this algorithm in reconstructing experimental data. The hardware setup for collecting the scattered signal from the investigation domain comprises a novel 16-port RF transceiver, an 8-element array of inverted triangular patch antennas to cover a two-dimensional view, and an imaging chamber with a high precision motor for rotation.