Microwave hemorrhagic stroke detector
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting blood flow, comprising:
- means for producing a microwave signal, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal;
means for detecting said transmitted signal to produce a detected signal; and
means for analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, wherein said means for detecting said transmitted signal comprise at least one microwave receiver antenna, wherein said at least one microwave receiver antenna comprises a parabolic reflector antenna, wherein said at least one microwave receiver antenna comprises an array of at least 4 receiver antennas mounted with a gap of 3 to 5 mm between them, wherein said gap comprises microwave absorbing material to help reduce any residual crosstalk between antennas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The microwave hemorrhagic stroke detector includes a low power pulsed microwave transmitter with a broad-band antenna for producing a directional beam of microwaves, an index of refraction matching cap placed over the patients head, and an array of broad-band microwave receivers with collection antennae. The system of microwave transmitter and receivers are scanned around, and can also be positioned up and down the axis of the patients head. The microwave hemorrhagic stroke detector is a completely non-invasive device designed to detect and localize blood pooling and clots or to measure blood flow within the head or body. The device is based on low power pulsed microwave technology combined with specialized antennas and tomographic methods. The system can be used for rapid, non-invasive detection of blood pooling such as occurs with hemorrhagic stoke in human or animal patients as well as for the detection of hemorrhage within a patient'"'"'s body.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting blood flow, comprising:
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means for producing a microwave signal, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal; means for detecting said transmitted signal to produce a detected signal; and means for analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, wherein said means for detecting said transmitted signal comprise at least one microwave receiver antenna, wherein said at least one microwave receiver antenna comprises a parabolic reflector antenna, wherein said at least one microwave receiver antenna comprises an array of at least 4 receiver antennas mounted with a gap of 3 to 5 mm between them, wherein said gap comprises microwave absorbing material to help reduce any residual crosstalk between antennas.
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2. An apparatus for detecting blood flow, comprising:
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means for producing a microwave signal, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal; means for detecting said transmitted signal to produce a detected signal; and means for analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, wherein said means for detecting said transmitted signal comprise at least one microwave receiver antenna, wherein said at least one microwave receiver antenna comprises a parabolic reflector antenna, wherein said housing comprises microwave absorber material, wherein said microwave absorber material provides shielding, prevents entry of signals from outside objects, reduces residual crosstalk within said means for producing a microwave signal and reduces residual crosstalk within said means for detecting said transmitted signal, wherein said housing further comprises an element insert, wherein said element insert comprises a bag designed to fit within said housing and over a patient'"'"'s head. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for detecting blood flow, comprising:
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means for producing a microwave signal, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal; means for detecting said transmitted signal to produce a detected signal; and means for analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, wherein said means for detecting said transmitted signal comprise at least one microwave receiver antenna, wherein said at least one microwave receiver antenna comprises a parabolic reflector antenna, wherein said housing comprises microwave absorber material, wherein said microwave absorber material provides shielding, prevents entry of signals from outside objects, reduces residual crosstalk within said means for producing a microwave signal and reduces residual crosstalk within said means for detecting said transmitted signal, wherein said housing further comprises an element insert, wherein said means for producing a microwave signal comprise at least one microwave transmitter, wherein said means for detecting said transmitted signal comprise at least one microwave receiver antenna, wherein said at least one microwave transmitter and said at least one microwave receiver antenna are fixedly and operatively mounted to said housing, wherein said at least one microwave transmitter and said at least one microwave receiver antenna rotates about an axis of rotation of said housing.
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14. An apparatus for detecting blood flow, comprising:
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means for producing a microwave signal, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal; means for detecting said transmitted signal to produce a detected signal; and means for analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, further comprising a housing, wherein said means for producing a microwave signal comprise a plurality of microwave transmitter/receiver units fixedly and operatively mounted to said housing, wherein said detector further comprises means for electronically multiplexing said plurality of microwave transmitter/receiver units such that microwave signals are transmitted and received in a selected pattern about an axis of rotation of said housing.
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15. A method for detecting blood flow within a medium, comprising:
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producing a microwave signal; transmitting said microwave signal through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal; detecting said transmitted signal after it has passed through said medium to produce a detected signal; and analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted through said medium at a plurality of angles, wherein the step of analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal is carried out with a reconstruction algorithm, wherein said reconstruction algorithm comprises taking the integral of the refractive index at all points along the path traveled by the pulse between the transmitter and receiver and reconstructing an image from a set of path integrals.
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16. A method for detecting blood flow within a medium, comprising:
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producing a microwave signal; transmitting said microwave signal through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal; detecting said transmitted signal after it has passed through said medium to produce a detected signal; and analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted through said medium at a plurality of angles, wherein the step of analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal is carried out with a reconstruction algorithm, wherein said reconstruction algorithm comprises; suppressing the effects of the pulse shape of said transmitted signal in each said detected signal; calculating a normal signal; storing said normal signal in the memory of a controling computer system; and reconstructing a data set from said normal signal to form a map of said medium using a standard tomographic back projection method. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A microwave hemorrhage detector, comprising:
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means for producing a pulsed microwave signal, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted across a medium to produce a transmitted signal; means for detecting said transmitted signal to produce a detected signal; and means for analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal to determine whether a fluid is flowing within said medium, wherein said microwave signal and said detected signal are analyzed to produce a value selected from the group consisting of the real part of the refractive index and the loss due to absorption. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for detecting blood flow, comprising:
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means for producing a microwave signal, wherein said microwave signal is transmitted through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal; means for detecting said transmitted signal to produce a detected signal; and means for analyzing said microwave signal and said detected signal with a reconstruction algorithm to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, wherein said reconstruction algorithm comprises taking the integral of the refractive index at a plurality of points along the path traveled by said microwave signal between said means for producing a microwave signal and said means for detecting said transmitted signal and reconstructing an image from a set of path integrals.
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22. An apparatus for detecting blood flow, comprising;
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means for producing a pulsed microwave signal, wherein said pulsed microwave signal is transmitted through a medium selected from a group consisting of a portion of a human body and a portion of an animal body to produce a transmitted signal; means for detecting said transmitted signal to produce a detected signal; and means for analyzing said pulsed microwave signal and said detected signal with a reconstruction algorithm to determine whether blood is flowing within said medium, wherein said reconstruction algorithm comprises; suppressing the effects of the pulse shape of said transmitted signal in each said detected signal; calculating a normal signal; storing said normal signal in the memory of a controlling computer system; and reconstructing a data set from said normal signal to form a map of said medium using a standard tomographic back projection method.
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Specification