Quantifying Consistency of Microwave Breast Imaging: Laser Scanning for Assessing Breast Volume and Shape

Microwave breast imaging is a promising approach that requires additional information such as the position, shape, and volume of the breast in the system for rigorous validation. The objectives of this proof-of-concept study were to develop a workflow to calculate the shape and volume of a breast positioned in contact with two imaging plates and to apply this workflow to assess the consistency of breast placement at sequential scans. The use of externally placed laser scanners facilitates capturing the shape and volume of the breast when positioned in the microwave system. A workflow was developed to estimate regions lacking observable measurements from the laser scanners, specifically implementing meshing, filtering, and surface estimation. The consistency of the breast shape and volume at sequential scans was quantified with the Dice coefficient, modified Hausdorff distance (MHD), and Fréchet distance. The study achieved an average Dice coefficient of 0.74 and MHD better than 10 mm, with the average below 4 mm. The Fréchet distances were higher than the MHD but demonstrated consistency with the phantom. Overall, this work demonstrates consistent placement of the breast at sequential scans and provides a framework for further investigation into the microwave signals and images.