A system for determining characteristics of a specific region within an inhomogeneous dielectric specimen by guiding propagation of electric fields through the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen, the system comprising: at least one source of electromagnetic energy configured to generate electromagnetic waveforms, the electromagnetic waveforms comprising electric fields generated to propagate along a prescribed path that defines a series of spatial regions through which the electric fields propagate; electric field modulating elements configured to determine a rate of electric field propagation along the prescribed path; a plurality of conductors (1105, 1110) configured to guide the electric field propagation through a inhomogeneous dielectric specimen in the prescribed path, the electric fields being generated to span between two or more of the plurality of conductors as the electric fields propagate along the prescribed path, the plurality of conductors being external to the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; a plurality of sensing elements configured to determine, at a plurality of measurement points, a measurement of the electric fields propagating along the prescribed path, the measurement of the electric fields being for use to determine regional dielectric characteristics of the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen and dielectric characteristics of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; at least one processor; and a memory storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the at least one processor is configured to implement the following operations upon executing the processor-executable instructions: determining an effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; determining whether the effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen is consistent with the rate of the electric field propagation along the prescribed path; modulating the electric field propagation along the prescribed path when the effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen is not consistent with the rate of the electric field propagation along the prescribed path; measuring waveforms using the electric field propagation through the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; and determining features of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen using the waveforms. at least one source of electromagnetic energy configured to generate electromagnetic waveforms, the electromagnetic waveforms comprising electric fields generated to propagate along a prescribed path that defines a series of spatial regions through which the electric fields propagate; electric field modulating elements configured to determine a rate of electric field propagation along the prescribed path; a plurality of conductors (1105, 1110) configured to guide the electric field propagation through a inhomogeneous dielectric specimen in the prescribed path, the electric fields being generated to span between two or more of the plurality of conductors as the electric fields propagate along the prescribed path, the plurality of conductors being external to the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; a plurality of sensing elements configured to determine, at a plurality of measurement points, a measurement of the electric fields propagating along the prescribed path, the measurement of the electric fields being for use to determine regional dielectric characteristics of the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen and dielectric characteristics of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; at least one processor; and a memory storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the at least one processor is configured to implement the following operations upon executing the processor-executable instructions: determining an effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; determining whether the effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen is consistent with the rate of the electric field propagation along the prescribed path; modulating the electric field propagation along the prescribed path when the effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen is not consistent with the rate of the electric field propagation along the prescribed path; measuring waveforms using the electric field propagation through the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; and determining features of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen using the waveforms. determining an effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; determining whether the effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen is consistent with the rate of the electric field propagation along the prescribed path; modulating the electric field propagation along the prescribed path when the effective dielectric constant of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen is not consistent with the rate of the electric field propagation along the prescribed path; measuring waveforms using the electric field propagation through the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen; and determining features of the specific region within the inhomogeneous dielectric specimen using the waveforms.