Dartmouth College

Microwave Imaging Systems Technologies, Inc.

Microwave Imaging System Technologies, Inc.

Paul M Meaney

Keith Douglas Paulsen

Timothy Raynolds

Edward Martin Godshalk

Greg Burke

John B Weaver

Amir H Golnabi

Andrea Borsic

Qianqian Fang

Alexander T Farkas

Neil Epstein

Margaret W Fanning

Tina Zhou

Matthew Pallone

A system for non-invasive microwave testing a bottle of wine may include an emission probe for emitting a microwave signal through a wall of the bottle into the wine and a detection probe for receiving at least a portion of the microwave signal from the wine via the wall.

Systems and methods for non-invasive microwave testing of bottles of wine

A system for dielectric testing of wine in a bottle includes (a) a coaxial probe for interrogating the wine, wherein the coaxial probe has an open end for contacting an exterior surface of the bottle, and (b) a measurement module for determining a dielectric property associated with the wine by generating and measuring radio waves propagating through the coaxial cable. A method for dielectric testing of wine in a bottle includes measuring a radio-wave reflection signal associated with the wine by interrogating the wine, through the bottle, with radio waves, and determining a dielectric property associated with the wine from the radio-wave reflection signal. A probe for radio-wave interrogation of wine in a bottle has an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and an open end with curvature matching the curvature of an exterior surface of the bottle.

Systems, probes, and methods for dielectric testing of wine in bottle

A probe sensor has a printed circuit comprising a coplanar transmission line, a ground plane, a plated-through contact via, and a part-circular ring of ground vias surrounding the contact via. The coplanar transmission line and ground plane are formed on a first layer of the printed circuit, and the contact via and part-circular ring of ground vias are plated with a conductive biocompatible material on a second layer of the printed circuit. A system uses a network analyzer with the probe to measure electrical properties of biological tissue. Also described is a method of using the system to determine qualities of stored blood.

Planar Probe and system for measuring dielectric properties of biological materials

A system and method of imaging tissue includes administering a contrast agent having charged gold nanoparticles in suspension into a vessel of the subject, such that the nanoparticles are carried into the tissue; and performing microwave imaging of the tissue after administering the contrast agent. In embodiments, the nanoparticles have a tissue-selective protein tag. In embodiments, images are taken prior to administering the contrast agent, and further images may be taken during an agent&#x2014;washout period after imaging with contrast agent. The contrast agent is injectable, with the nanoparticles suspended as a colloid in a biocompatible, isotonic, carrier. In particular embodiments, the nanoparticles have median diameter of less than fifty nanometers, or less than five nanometers, and may have a tissue-selective protein tag. A microwave imaging system has injection apparatus with the gold-nanoparticle agent, and is configured to take, and difference, pre and post contrast images as well as washout images.

System and method using precious-metal nanoparticle contrast agent for microwave medical imaging

Systems and methods generate a 3D model of a surface of an object immersed in a transparent liquid within a stationary cylindrical transparent tank. First and second laser line projectors and a camera are rotated around a central axis of the cylindrical tank. The first and second laser line projectors each generate a laser line perpendicular to a plane or rotation and aligned with the center of rotation. The camera images the object. An image from the camera is captured at each of several angular positions of the camera relative to a reference position of the stationary cylindrical tank. The captured images are processed to determine, for each laser line within each image, a plurality of 3D positions where the laser line is incident upon a surface of the object. In embodiments, images are corrected with ray tracing or image warping and registration functions.

3d scanning laser systems and methods for determining surface geometry of an immersed object in a transparent cylindrical glass tank

A system and method for detecting permittivity and conductivity boundaries within a high resolution spatial image of a material is presented. Electrical properties of a material, such as permittivity and conductivity, may assist in identification of physical properties of the material. Structural boundaries within tissue may be identified in spatial images, such as MR images. Image reconstruction algorithms may combine these structural boundaries with microwave images of the tissue to determine the permittivity and conductivity parameters within the structural boundaries. In the case of soft tissue, the microwave images may be captured simultaneously with the spatial images. The microwave images may be taken at a different time from the spatial image for rigid tissue. The method may be employed for two dimensional or three dimensional image reconstruction.

System and method for collection and use of magnetic resonance data and microwave data to identify boundaries of interest

A microwave imaging system provides superior breast imaging resolution by combining MR microwave absorption and MR-compatible microwave tomography calculations. These techniques may also be supplemented with magnetic resonance elastography techniques, for example, to facilitate quick multispectral imaging.

Imaging by magnetic resonance adsorption, elastography and tomography

A microwave imaging process, and a system controlled by an associated software product, illuminate a target with microwaves from a transmitting antenna. Receiving antennas receive microwaves scattered by the target, and form microwave data. The illumination and receiving repeat over multiple transmitting antennas and multiple microwave frequencies. The microwave data is processed to form permittivity and conductivity images by selecting a background dispersion model for permittivity and conductivity. Permittivity and conductivity dispersion coefficients are determined, and permittivity and conductivity distributions are calculated, for each of the microwave frequencies. Forward solutions at multiple frequencies are determined from property distributions, and a dispersion coefficient based Jacobian matrix is determined. Dispersion coefficient updates are determined using the microwave data, and the dispersion coefficients are updated. Permittivity and conductivity distributions are recalculated for each of the frequencies, and the forward solutions are determined at multiple frequencies from property distributions.

Microwave imaging system and processes, and associated software products

A non-invasive microwave analysis method determines scattered phase and/or amplitude data for a liquid in a container. A transmitter antenna transmits microwaves that scatter from the container and the liquid in the container. One or more receiver antennas convert the microwaves into microwave electronic signals that are processed to determine the scattered phase and/or amplitude data. Another non-invasive microwave screening method includes placing a container of an unknown liquid in a tank. The container is separated by a membrane from coupling liquid in the tank. Microwave radiation transmits from a transmitter antenna and scatters from the container and the unknown liquid. One or more receiver antennas convert the microwave radiation into microwave electronic signals. The microwave electronic signals are processed to determine scattered phase and/or amplitude data. A pass result or a fail result is determined based on the scattered phase and/or amplitude data.

Non-invasive microwave analysis methods

Magnetic resonance elastography pulse sequences for encoding position and motion of spins, and methods of using the pulse sequences are disclosed. The pulse sequences utilize imaging gradients, comprising a positive lobe and a negative lobe having non-symmetric amplitudes, to encode harmonic or wave motion within a specimen, such as tissue.

A non-invasive microwave analysis system determines scattered phase and/or amplitude data for a liquid in a container. A tank holds coupling liquid; the system includes a membrane for separating the liquid container from the coupling liquid. A transmitter antenna situated within the coupling liquid transmits microwaves. One or more receiver antennas within the coupling liquid convert microwave radiation that scatters from the liquid in the container into microwave electronic signals. Electronics process the microwave electronic signals to determine scattered phase and/or amplitude values of the microwave radiation.

Non-invasive microwave analysis systems

Non-invasive microwave analysis systems and methods determine scattered phase data for a liquid in a container. A transmitter antenna situated within coupling liquid separated from the container by a flexible membrane transmits microwaves that scatter from the container and the liquid in the container. One or more receiver antennas within the coupling liquid convert the microwaves into microwave electronic signals that are processed to determine the scattered phase data. Non-invasive microwave analysis systems and methods image a portion of a biological subject. A transmitter antenna situated within coupling liquid separated from the subject by a flexible membrane transmits microwaves that scatter from the container and the subject. One or more receiver antennas within the coupling liquid convert the microwaves into microwave electronic signals that are processed to reconstruct a cross-sectional image of the subject.

An improved method and apparatus for microwave imaging of an inhomogeneous target, in particular of biological tissue, compensates for the interactions between active antennae and nonactive antennae. Measured electric field data are processed in magnitude and phase form so that unwrapped phase information may be used directly in the image reconstruction. Initial finite element measurements and calculations are used to determine the perimeter dimensions of the target being examined, resulting in more accurate image reconstructions. An improved regularization technique is a hybrid of a Marquardt regularization scheme with a spatial filtering technique and a Tikhonov regularization scheme. An improved switching matrix enables simultaneous sampling of electric field data from a plurality of receiving antennae.

Fixed array microwave imaging apparatus and method

The invention provides apparatus and methods for determining electric field properties of an inhomogeneous target. The electric property distribution on a coarse mesh discretization of the target is first estimated; and then the electric field on a fine mesh discretization of the target is computed. The fine mesh has finer discretization than the coarse mesh and is overlapping with the coarse mesh. The electric field is then measured at preselected measurement sites within a homogeneous region external to the target. A Jacobian matrix is also calculated which represents a sensitivity calculation relative to a change in the electric field at selected measurement sites due to a perturbation in the electric property distribution on the coarse mesh. A difference vector is formed between the computed electric field and the measured electric field, and an update vector is added to the electrical property distribution as a function of the difference vector and the Jacobian matrix. The electric field is then re-computed based on the updated electric property distribution, which is compared with the measured electric field to produce a least squared error. If this error is not sufficiently small, the steps above, beginning with computing a Jacobian matrix, are repeated until the error is sufficiently small.

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Hanover, NH, United States of America

Paul M Meaney