Wafer scale sensor ultra-wideband array for tissue diagnosis

• US 9,372,256 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Original Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Inventors: Mohamadi, Farrokh
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/191,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20150241552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 342/22, 342/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/887 for detection of concealed objects, e.g. contraband or weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/02 of systems according to group G01S13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/026 involving the transmission of elliptically or circularly polarised waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/40 Element having extended radiating surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength

Abstract

Radar imaging for medical diagnosis addresses the need for non-ionizing and low-cost alternatives to conventional medical diagnosis methods, such as mammography x-ray techniques, which expose patients to ionizing radiation for cancer detection. An ultra wide band (UWB) sensor can produce very fine beams at the V- or W-bands using beam forming techniques developed specifically for wafer scale antenna arrays. The high bandwidth radio waves can penetrate tissue and resolve tissue anomalies with high-resolution. Pseudo-random coding creates a signal that allows the correlating receiver to extract very low energy reflected signals from background noise providing coding gain. An integrated panel of sensor antenna arrays enables rapid scanning of the subject area, such as breast tissue, to detect anomalies by eliminating the need for mechanical scanning (e.g., moving the sensors relative to the subject) because the wafer scale antenna array can instantaneously take the desired topographic picture of the subject area.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a panel of planar antenna arrays, each planer antenna array comprising a plurality of circularly polarized antenna elements in a planar surface, wherein each antenna element includes a spiral plate;

an array of converters for converting an ultra wide band (UWB) radar signal to V-band or W-band frequency;

a feed network connecting the V-band or W-band frequency signal to each of the antenna elements; and

a plurality of amplifiers dispersed in the feed network and configured to provide spatial power combining and beam forming of the V-band or W-band frequency signal for high resolution detection of a tissue anomaly.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a signal processor that is configured to:

measure a path delay between a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna of the panel via a point in the tissue;

extract and time-align the spatially beam formed signal from the point; and

perform image processing using the extracted and time-aligned signal to provide an image presenting the distinct dielectric properties of the tissue anomaly.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal includes a transmitted signal and the amplifiers comprise power amplifiers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal includes a received signal and the amplifiers comprise low noise amplifiers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes:

an image processor that combines processing from both right hand circularly polarized (RHCP) reflected signals and left hand circularly polarized (LHCP) reflected signals to provide enhanced edge detection of the tissue anomaly.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes:

an image processor that analyzes information from both right hand circularly polarized (RHCP) reflected signals and left hand circularly polarized (LHCP) reflected signals to provide phase information for detection of the tissue anomaly.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal comprises a pseudo-random coding that allows a correlating receiver to extract very low energy reflected signals from background noise to provide a coding gain.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the panel of planar antenna arrays comprises a linear, 1×

n, array to provide enhanced resolution of the cross section of the tissue anomaly.

9. A method for detecting a tissue anomaly in a subject, comprising:

scanning the subject using a spatially beam formed, high resolution radio frequency signal transmitted from a panel of antenna arrays;

measuring a path delay between a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna of the panel via a point in the tissue anomaly;

extracting and time-aligning the spatially beam formed radio frequency signal from the point; and

performing image processing using the extracted and time-aligned signal to provide an image presenting the distinct dielectric properties of the tissue anomaly.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein scanning further comprises:

transmitting from a first transceiver in an array comprising a plurality of transceivers; and

receiving from all receivers in the plurality of transceivers of the array.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

performing the scanning in a single exposure without mechanical movement of the panel relative to the subject during the scanning.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

performing spatial power combining and beam forming of the transmitted signals via a plurality of power amplifiers dispersed in the feed network.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

performing spatial power combining and beam forming of the received signals via a plurality of low noise amplifiers dispersed in the feed network.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

scanning using the spatially beam formed radio frequency signal comprising an ultra wide band (UWB) pulse for detecting differences in permittivity of the subject and the tissue anomaly.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

performing spatial power combining and beam forming from an antenna array comprising alternating right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) and left-hand circularly polarized (LHCP) for enhanced edge detection of the tissue anomaly.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

analyzing information from both right hand circularly polarized (RHCP) reflected signals and left hand circularly polarized (LHCP) reflected signals to provide phase information for detection of the tissue anomaly.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the panel of antenna arrays comprises a linear, 1×

n, array to provide enhanced resolution of the cross section of the tissue anomaly.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein scanning comprises transmitting and receiving the radio frequency signal in the V-band or the W-band for enhanced resolution of the tissue anomaly.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the signal comprises a pseudo-random coding that allows a correlating receiver to extract very low energy reflected signals from background noise to provide a coding gain.