Microwave bone imaging: a preliminary scanning system for proof-of-concept

Healthcare Technology Letters

article

Giuseppe Ruvio¹  Antonio Cuccaro²  Raffaele Solimene²  Adriana Brancaccio²  Bruno Basile³  Max J. Ammann¹ 

[1] Antenna and High Frequency Research Centre, Dublin Institute of Technology;Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale e dell'Informazione, Seconda Università di Napoli;B&B Sas

关键词: microwave imaging;    medical image processing;    image reconstruction;    phantoms;    bone;    skin;    fats;    muscle;    data acquisition;    synchronisation;    microwave antennas;    frequency 0.5 GHz to 4 GHz;    image formation procedure;    portable nonionising imaging;    microwave bone imaging technology;    distinctive dielectric contrast;    image reconstruction;    fibula;    tibia;    three-dimensional image;    impedance mismatch;    antenna miniaturisation;    bone tissues;    muscle;    fat;    skin;    multilayer phantom;    synchronisation;    accurate antenna positioning;    antipodal Vivaldi antennas;    fully automated scanner;    data acquisition time;    mechanical uncertainties;    biomedical bone imaging;    proof-of-concept;    preliminary scanning system;   

DOI  :  10.1049/htl.2016.0003

学科分类：肠胃与肝脏病学

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

This Letter introduces a feasibility study of a scanning system for applications in biomedical bone imaging operating in the microwave range 0.5–4 GHz. Mechanical uncertainties and data acquisition time are minimised by using a fully automated scanner that controls two antipodal Vivaldi antennas. Accurate antenna positioning and synchronisation with data acquisition enables a rigorous proof-of-concept for the microwave imaging procedure of a multi-layer phantom including skin, fat, muscle and bone tissues. The presence of a suitable coupling medium enables antenna miniaturisation and mitigates the impedance mismatch between antennas and phantom. The three-dimensional image of tibia and fibula is successfully reconstructed by scanning the multi-layer phantom due to the distinctive dielectric contrast between target and surrounding tissues. These results show the viability of a microwave bone imaging technology which is low cost, portable, non-ionising, and does not require specially trained personnel. In fact, as no a-priori characterisation of the antenna is required, the image formation procedure is very conveniently simplified.

【 授权许可】

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