HANDHELD MEDICAL MICROWAVE RADIOMETER
First Claim
1. A microwave handheld radiometer for measuring subsurface tissue temperature of a subject, said radiometer comprising:
- a microwave antenna disposed relative to a handheld radiometer housing and adapted to electromagnetically couple to a skin surface of a subject;
a circulator having a first circulator input and a second circulator input, said first circulator input electrically coupled to said antenna via a microwave feedline;
a switch electrically disposed between said antenna and an microwave feedline, said switch having a calibrate state and a measure state;
a noise source electrically coupled to said circulator, said noise source being configured to provide a first source of thermal noise at a first temperature and a second source of thermal noise at a second temperature and wherein said noise source is switched between said first source and second source upon external command; and
a detector said detector creating a detector output.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A microwave handheld radiometer for measuring subsurface tissue temperature of a subject includes a microwave antenna disposed relative to a handheld radiometer housing and adapted to electromagnetically couple to a skin surface of a subject, a circulator having a first circulator input and a second circulator input, wherein the first circulator input is electrically coupled to said antenna via a microwave feedline. A switch is electrically disposed between the antenna and an microwave feedline, said switch having a calibrate state and a measure state. A noise source, electrically coupled to the circulator, is being configured to provide a first source of thermal noise at a first temperature and a second source of thermal noise at a second temperature, wherein the noise source is switched between the first source and second source upon external command wherein a detector provides an output wherein surface temperature effects are corrected for in the sub-surface measurement.
31 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A microwave handheld radiometer for measuring subsurface tissue temperature of a subject, said radiometer comprising:
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a microwave antenna disposed relative to a handheld radiometer housing and adapted to electromagnetically couple to a skin surface of a subject; a circulator having a first circulator input and a second circulator input, said first circulator input electrically coupled to said antenna via a microwave feedline; a switch electrically disposed between said antenna and an microwave feedline, said switch having a calibrate state and a measure state; a noise source electrically coupled to said circulator, said noise source being configured to provide a first source of thermal noise at a first temperature and a second source of thermal noise at a second temperature and wherein said noise source is switched between said first source and second source upon external command; and a detector said detector creating a detector output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 38)
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3A. A. (canceled)
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27. A microwave handheld radiometer for measuring subsurface tissue temperature, said radiometer comprising:
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a microwave antenna means for receiving a microwave electromagnetic signal mechanically disposed at a distal end of said handheld radiometer housing and adapted to electromagnetically couple to a skin surface of a mammal; a circulator having a first circulator input and a second circulator input, said first circulator input electrically coupled to said antenna via a microwave feedline; a switch means for switching between a calibration mode and a measurement mode; a noise source means for generating microwave noise at more than one noise temperature, said noise source electrically coupled to a second input of said circulator, said noise source configured to provide a first source of thermal noise at a first temperature and a second source of thermal noise at a second temperature and wherein said noise source is switched between said first source and second source upon external command; and a detector having a detector output.
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28. A microwave radiometer system for measuring subsurface tissue temperature, said system comprising:
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a microwave antenna adapted to electromagnetically couple to a skin surface of a mammal; a circulator having a first circulator input and a second circulator input, said first circulator input electrically coupled to said antenna via a microwave feedline; a switch electrically disposed between said antenna and said microwave feedline; a noise source said noise source configured to provide a first source of thermal noise at a first temperature and a second source of thermal noise at a second temperature and wherein said noise source is switched between said first source and second source upon external command; a detector having a detector output; a computer communicatively coupled to a sensor disposed within said radiometer configured to indicate a selected one of; 1) said microwave antenna in a measure mode when said switch is sensed to be in said measure state, and 2) said microwave antenna in said calibration mode when said switch is sensed to be in said calibrate state. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method for determining a core body temperature measurement using a handheld microwave radiometer, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a handheld microwave radiometer including a microwave antenna, a switch including a sensed switch position output and a toggling thermal termination coupled to said handheld microwave radiometer; calibrating said handheld microwave radiometer to determine a first set of calibration coefficients based on a detector output at each thermal termination temperature; and measuring a temperature to a depth within said mammalian skin surface based on an antenna emissivity coefficient calculated from said first set of calibration coefficients and a detector output at each thermal termination temperature. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification