Wideband bio-imaging system and related methods

• US 9,724,011 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Old Dominion University Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: Old Dominion University Research Foundation
• Inventors: Schoenbach, Karl H., Xiao, Shu
• Primary Examiner(s): Valone, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/885,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20160106335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 324663
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14

Abstract

An imaging and recordation system is provided. The system includes a high-power, focusing antenna for illuminating biological tissue. The system further includes a power source for powering the antenna. The system further includes a data acquisition module, for recording the dielectric properties of tissues illuminated by the high-power, focusing antenna. The system illuminates the tissues using ultrashort electrical pulses.

Claims

1. A method of imaging and processing data, the method comprising:

focusing radiation on a tissue site, using an antenna system comprising a an antenna feed, a conical wave launcher having its apex coupled to the antenna feed, and a reflector surrounding the conical wave launcher, where there is a predetermined probability that a tumor or other abnormality in permittivity exists;

processing data generated in response to radiating the tissue site; and

reconstructing an image of the tissue site based upon the processing of the data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising illuminating the tissue site using ultrashort electrical pulses having a duration on the order of 100 pico seconds (ps).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a spatial resolution of an image with values of 1/7 or 1/10 of a wavelength based on a non-linear algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing an image reconstruction algorithm used in an inverse scattering process.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising illuminating the tissue site using ultrashort electrical pulses having a duration greater than 10 pico seconds (ps) and less than 1000 ps.