Microwave method and system to detect and locate cancers in heterogenous tissues
First Claim
1. A non-invasive method of detecting a presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the tissue of a living organism, such as the tissue of a human breast, wherein normal tissue has a predetermined dielectric characteristic different from the dielectric characteristic of a tumor or other abnormality, and wherein surface tissue such as skin has a different dielectric characteristic than the normal tissue, the method comprising:
- A. generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave within a preselected wide band frequency range;
B. applying the input wave of step A to a radiating antenna in contact with the skin of a living organism to illuminate a minute, discrete volume at a predetermined position within the tissue of the living organism and develop a backscatter wave from that volume;
C. collecting a preselected portion of the backscatter wave developed by step B with a collecting antenna in contact with the surface tissue of the living organism to develop a secondary backscatter wave that includes surface tissue backscatter; and
D. processing the secondary backscatter wave of step C to separate surface tissue backscatter from the secondary backscatter wave and develop a segregated backscatter wave and detect an abnormality in the tissue.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for detecting an incipient tumor in living tissue such as that of a human breast in accordance with differences in relative dielectric characteristics. A generator produces a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave of preselected frequency, usually exceeding three gigahertz, and that input wave is used to irradiate the living tissue, being effectively focused into a minute, discrete volume within the tissue to develop a non-ionizing electromagnetic wave at that position. The illumination location is shifted over a portion of the living tissue in a predetermined scanning pattern. Backscatter signal returns from the living tissue are collected to develop a backscatter return signal wave. The backscatter wave is processed to segregate skin tissue backscatter to develop a segregated backscatter wave signal; that segregated signal, in turn, is employed to detect any anomaly, caused by differences in relative dielectric characteristics, that is indicative of the presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the scanned living tissue.
239 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A non-invasive method of detecting a presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the tissue of a living organism, such as the tissue of a human breast, wherein normal tissue has a predetermined dielectric characteristic different from the dielectric characteristic of a tumor or other abnormality, and wherein surface tissue such as skin has a different dielectric characteristic than the normal tissue, the method comprising:
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A. generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave within a preselected wide band frequency range; B. applying the input wave of step A to a radiating antenna in contact with the skin of a living organism to illuminate a minute, discrete volume at a predetermined position within the tissue of the living organism and develop a backscatter wave from that volume; C. collecting a preselected portion of the backscatter wave developed by step B with a collecting antenna in contact with the surface tissue of the living organism to develop a secondary backscatter wave that includes surface tissue backscatter; and D. processing the secondary backscatter wave of step C to separate surface tissue backscatter from the secondary backscatter wave and develop a segregated backscatter wave and detect an abnormality in the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A non-invasive method of detecting a presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the tissue of a living organism, such as the tissue of a human breast, wherein normal tissue has a predetermined dielectric characteristic different from the dielectric characteristic of a tumor or other abnormality or other tissue types, and wherein surface tissue, such as skin and other near-surface tissue, have a different dielectric characteristic than the normal tissue, the method comprising:
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I. generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave within a preselected wide band frequency range; J. applying the input wave of step I to a radiating antenna in contact with the skin of a living organism to illuminate an adjacent small volume of the near-surface tissues within the living organism and develop a scattered wave from that volume; K. collecting a preselected portion of the scattered wave developed in step J with a collecting antenna in contact with the near-surface tissue of the living organism to develop a secondary scattered wave; L. processing the secondary scattered wave of step K to develop a dielectric characterization of the near-surface tissue; and M. utilizing the dielectric characterization of the near-surface tissues from step L to compensate for perturbations introduced into scattered returns by the near-surface tissues and detect an abnormality in the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-invasive method of detecting a presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the tissue of a living organism, such as the tissue of a human breast, wherein normal tissue has a predetermined dielectric characteristic different from the dielectric characteristic of a tumor or other abnormality or other tissue types, and wherein surface tissue, such as skin, has a different dielectric characteristic than the normal tissue, the method comprising:
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N. generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave within a preselected wide band frequency range; O. applying the input wave of step A to an array of radiating antennas in contact with the surface of a living organism to illuminate minute, discrete volumes at predetermined positions within the tissue of the living organism and develop a series of scattered waves from these discrete volumes; P. collecting preselected portions of the scattered waves developed in step O with an array of collecting antennas in contact with the surface tissue of the living organism to develop a series of secondary scattered waves from these discrete volumes; Q. processing each of the secondary scattered waves of step P to separate surface tissue backscatter from the secondary scattered waves and develop a series of segregated scattered waves; and R. shifting a timing of each of the segregated scattered waves such that the segregated scattered returns combine constructively for a preselected volume and detecting an abnormality in the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A non-invasive method of detecting a presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the tissue of a living organism, such as the tissue of a human breast, wherein normal tissue has a predetermined dielectric characteristic different from the dielectric characteristic of a tumor or other abnormality or other tissue, and wherein surface tissue, such as skin, has a different dielectric characteristic than the normal tissue, the method comprising:
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V. generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave within a preselected wide band frequency range; W. applying the input wave of step V to a radiating antenna that is progressively repositioned on surface tissue of a living organism to illuminate minute, discrete volumes at predetermined positions within the tissue of the living organism and develop a series of scattered waves from those volume; X. collecting a preselected portion of the scattered waves developed by step W by a collecting antenna that is progressively repositioned on the surface tissue of the living organism to develop a series of secondary scattered waves from each collecting position that includes surface tissue scattered waves; Y. processing each of the secondary scattered waves of step X to separate surface tissue scatter from the secondary scattered waves and develop a series of segregated scattered waves; and Z. shifting a timing of each of the segregated scattered waves such that the scattered returns from a preselected volume combine constructively and detecting an abnormality in the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A non-invasive method of detecting a presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the tissue of a living organism, such as a tumor on the prostate gland, wherein the normal tissue has a predetermined dielectric characteristic different from the dielectric characteristic of a tumor or other abnormality or other tissue, and wherein surface tissue near the gland, such as the lining of the rectum, has a different dielectric characteristic than the normal tissue, the method comprising:
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EE. generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave within a preselected side band frequency range; FF. applying the input wave of step EE to a radiating antenna positioned on surface tissue of a living organism such that the input wave preferentially illuminates a preselected volume within the tissue of the living organism and develops scattered waves from that volume; GG. collecting scattered waves from the preselected volume of step FF by a collecting antenna that is positioned on the surface tissue of the living organism to develop a series of secondary scattered waves that include surface tissue scattered waves; II. processing each of the secondary scattered waves of step GG to separate surface tissue scatter from the secondary scattered waves and develop a series of segregated scattered waves; and KK. combining the segregated scattered waves of step II in a display that shows the position of abnormalities in the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A non-invasive method of detecting a presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the tissue of a living organism, such as a tumor on the prostate gland, wherein normal tissue has a predetermined dielectric characteristic different from the dielectric characteristic of a tumor or other abnormality or other tissue, and wherein surface tissue near the gland, such as the lining of the rectum, has a different dielectric characteristic than the normal tissue, the method comprising:
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LL. generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave within a preselected wide band frequency range; MM. applying the input wave of step LL to a cylindrical antenna that is positioned on surface tissue of the urethra such that it preferentially is in contact with the skin of a living organism to illuminate a preselected volume within the tissue of the living organism and develops scattered waves from that volume; NN. collecting scattered waves from the preselected portion of the living tissue by a collecting antenna that is positioned on the surface tissue of the living organism such that it preferentially collects the scattered waves from the preselected volume of step MM to develop a series of secondary scattered waves that includes surface tissue scattered waves; OO. processing each of the secondary scattered waves of step NN to separate surface tissue scatter and scatter from equipment interfaces from the secondary scattered waves and to develop a segregated scattered wave; PP. repeating steps MM, NN, and OO to develop another segregated scattered wave from another preselected volume; and QQ. combining the segregated scattered waves of steps NN and PP in a display that shows the position of abnormalities in the tissue. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A non-invasive system for detecting presence of a tumor or other abnormality in the tissue of a living organism, such as the tissue of a human breast, wherein normal tissue of the organism has a predetermined dielectric characteristic different from the dielectric characteristic of a tumor or other abnormality, and wherein surface tissue such as skin has a different dielectric characteristic than the normal tissue, the system comprising:
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a signal generator to generate a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave within a preselected wide band frequency range; at least one radiating antenna, connected to the signal generator and aligned with the skin of a living organism, directing at least a portion of the input power into a discrete volume within the tissue of the living organism to illuminate the discrete volume and develop at least one scatter waves reflected from the discrete volume; at least one collector antenna for collecting at least a portion of the at least one scatter wave from the discrete volume in the living organism; a signal processor, connected to the at least one collector antennae; a separator circuit to separate the at least one scatter wave from the preselected volume from the input wave and from other scatter waves from spurious scatter sources; and storage means, connected to the separator, for storing the at least one scatter wave from the preselected discrete volume. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification