NON-INVASIVE SCANNING APPARATUSES

• US 20100065751A1
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RF Science & Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pindi Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Harra, David James, Sanner, Rick Eugene, Hutchinson, Martin Albert, Mastin, Peter F., Iverson, Mark Norman
• Granted Patent: US 8,647,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/393
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage
• 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 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips

Abstract

Systems and methods for non-invasively scanning and analyzing one or more characteristics of a sample utilizing electromagnetic radiation are described. More particularly, the systems and methods utilize an electromagnetic radiation source connected to a transmitter and an analyzer connected to a receiver. A sample to be analyzed is placed between the transmitter and receiver in a variety of different manners and a frequency sweep of electromagnetic radiation is transmitted through the sample to create a series of spectral data sets that are used to create one or more composite spectrograms, which are then analyzed to determine one or more characteristics of the sample. A magnetic field can alternatively be applied around the transmitter, receiver and sample to enhance some characteristic analysis applications. Samples include inert and living items, and the characteristics include a wide variety of different applications.

Claims

1. A sample scanning and analysis system comprising:

a sample module for holding a sample to be scanned;

a scanner module for scanning the sample, including a transmitter for transmitting a series of electromagnetic signals, each of the signals having a transmitted amplitude over a plurality of sample points within a range of frequencies, and a receiver for receiving the series of signals as the series of signals are reflected from or transmitted through the sample, and generating a series of spectral data sets representing at least a scanned amplitude of each of the signals over the plurality of sample points, the scanning module including a transmitter node having a first dipole antenna connected to the transmitter and a receiver node having a second dipole antenna connected to the receiver, the scanning module including a base formed to hold the transmitter node and the receiver node close to or in contact with the sample; and

an analyzer module including a memory and a processor for generating one or more composite spectrograms from the series of spectral data sets, analyzing the composite spectrograms to recognize one or more patterns within the composite spectrograms representing one or more characteristics of the sample, and making a determination regarding the characteristics based on the patterns.