Patent ID: 7340292

Claim:
A method for detecting breast cancer comprising the steps of: coupling a plurality of transmitting antennas to surface portions of a breast and transmitting microwave energy from each of said transmitting antennas, each of the transmitting antennas being moveable to accommodate a shape and size of said breast; coupling a plurality of receiving antennas to different surface portions of the breast and receiving reflected microwave energy via each of said receiving antennas, each of the receiving antennas being moveable to accommodate a shape and size of said breast; positioning a passive array of antennas at a location remote from said transmitting and receiving antennas to detect the transmitted microwave energy; recording arrival times corresponding to when each antenna of the passive array of antennas detects the transmitted microwave energy and computing based upon the recorded arrival times a corresponding differential arrival time of the transmitted microwave energy at each antenna of the passive array; computing relative positions of the plurality of transmitting antennas and the plurality of receiving antennas based upon differential arrival times; adjusting a relative position of at least one of said transmitting antennas and said receiving antennas on said breast; and repeating said transmitting and said receiving steps after adjusting said relative position, wherein the received microwave energy is used to determine a presence of tumors within said breast.