Combining X-ray and Rradar imaging for safer cancer diagnosis

Medical imaging is indispensable for diagnosis, therapy, and follow-up examinations. In breast cancer screening, X-ray mammography is the most common method, producing fast and accurate two-dimensional images. For three-dimensional imaging, computed tomography (CT) is used, but it delivers significantly higher radiation doses. 

While the natural annual radiation exposure for a person is about 2.1 millisieverts, a chest CT delivers roughly three times that amount. The MultiMed project is developing a combined X-ray and radar approach to provide safer, more effective diagnostics for breast cancer and lung cancer. 

Radar technology is widely used in aviation and automotive systems, but in medicine it remains rare. One major advantage: it can produce 3D images without ionizing radiation, reducing health risks for patients. 

Although radar offers lower resolution and penetration depth than CT or MRI, it provides unique material property data, detecting differences in electrical permittivity and conductivity. These properties can help identify subtle tissue changes that other imaging methods may miss. 

The challenge is merging the two imaging worlds. Researchers are developing co-registration methods to align radar and X-ray data spatially. 

To improve image clarity, the team is creating new radar reconstruction algorithms for detailed visualization of internal structures. At the same time, CT image reconstruction is being optimized by integrating radar data, resulting in a multimodal CT algorithm that: 

• Increases detail and sharpness 

• Reduces image artifacts 

• Lowers radiation dose 

The project team has created imaging phantoms, artificial models that mimic real tissue structures. These allow accurate testing of combined radar and X-ray imaging under controlled conditions, ensuring reliable data for further development. 

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft