CAREER: Synthetic Ultra-Wideband Millimeter-Wave Imaging for Tissue Diagnostics

拟议的工作将产生所需的基础知识和技术知识，将毫米波技术应用于生物医学成像应用。尽管这种低成本技术在生物医学成像背景下具有各种优点，包括高图像对比度和合适的穿透深度，但它尚未应用于任何此类应用。主要原因是它在为诊断目的提供足够分辨率方面的局限性。该方案提供了一种新的方法，通过该方法可以综合组装任何常规设计方法都无法实现的超宽成像带宽。这将提高图像分辨率到以前无法达到的值。该提案的主要重点是开发便携式和低成本的皮肤成像设备，该设备可以以高分辨率对组织层的深度进行成像，同时在恶性组织和正常组织之间提供令人满意的对比度。通过在早期诊断皮肤肿瘤，该设备将节省大量的时间，精力和患者的不适，并为患者个人和国家的医疗保健系统提供显着的成本降低。拟议的研究将与各种教育和推广工作相结合，旨在让研究生，本科生和高中生参与拟议的研究，并提高他们对生物电磁学和生物医学成像的兴趣。PI将具体追求以下主要目标：1）通过自由科学中心的“科学伙伴”计划吸引高中生，2）通过史蒂文斯研究所的夏季学者研究计划招募本科生，特别是女性和少数民族学生，并激励他们继续攻读研究生，3）参加史蒂文斯医疗创新中心组织的活动和研讨会，4）在史蒂文斯开设电磁学生物医学应用课程，（5）在专业会议和技术期刊上传播研究成果。“合成”超宽带毫米波成像，一种新的方法，其中一个超宽的成像带宽将被探索。这不能通过任何传统的设计方法来实现，因此是“综合”组装的，从而显著提高了所获取图像的分辨率。通过将期望带宽划分成多个相邻子带或信道来实现合成增加。每个信道包含天线单元，该天线单元被优化用于在该特定子带内操作。子带天线依次放置在目标前方，发射其信号，并记录后向散射响应。然后处理和组合响应以合成积分信号，就好像它是从虚拟等效超宽带天线收集的一样。通过使用这个概念，实现高性能的超宽带天线在毫米波制度的挑战得到缓解，因为每个天线是在有限的带宽内优化。基于这种方法，将开发一种成像系统，用于在离体组织测量中检测皮肤肿瘤。该系统将优化和小型化，通过开发一种新的宽带，小型化贴片天线用于多基地传感器阵列。最终成像设置将很容易适用于床旁和手持式成像设备。“合成”超宽带成像方法将导致使用常规成像方法无法实现的图像分辨率。该方法是通用的，因为可以调整通道的数量和位置以覆盖特定应用所需的任何频率范围。这些功能为毫米波成像系统带来了全新的功能水平，并实现了目前尚不可行的应用。此外，新型的宽带，小型化贴片天线，将开发的小型化和优化的最终成像设置将是非常可取的各种通信和成像应用在毫米波政权。

The proposed work will generate the required fundamental and technological knowledge for applying the millimeter-wave technology to biomedical imaging applications. Despite the various advantages of this low-cost technology in a biomedical imaging context including high image contrasts and suitable penetration depths, it has not been applied to any such application. The main reason is its limitation in providing sufficient resolutions for diagnostic purposes. This proposal offers a novel approach by which an ultra-wide imaging bandwidth that cannot be realized by any conventional design method is assembled synthetically. This will improve image resolutions to values previously unattained. The main focus of this proposal is the development of a portable and low-cost skin imaging device that can image tissue layers over their depths with high resolutions while offering satisfactory contrasts between malignant and normal tissues. By diagnosing skin tumors at an early stage, the device will save tremendous amounts of time, effort, and patient discomfort and provide significant cost reductions for both the individual patient and the nation's healthcare system. The proposed research will be combined with various educational and outreach efforts aimed at involving graduate, undergraduate, and high school students in the proposed research and raising their interests in bio-electromagnetics and bio-medical imaging. The PI will specifically pursue the following main goals: 1) engaging high school students through the Liberty Science Center's "Partners in Science" program, 2) recruiting undergraduate students, especially from female and minority groups, through the Summer Scholars Research Program at Stevens Institute and motivating them to continue towards graduate studies, 3) participating in the events and seminars organized by the Center for Healthcare Innovation at Stevens, 4) establishing a course on biomedical applications of electromagnetics at Stevens, and 5) disseminating the results of the research at professional conferences and technical journals. "Synthetic" ultra-wideband millimeter-wave imaging, a novel approach in which an ultra-wide imaging bandwidth will be explored. This cannot be realized by any conventional design method and is therefore assembled "synthetically", resulting in significant improvements in the resolution of acquired images. The synthetic increase is achieved by dividing the desired bandwidth into a number of adjacent sub-bands or channels. Each channel contains an antenna unit which is optimized for operation within that specific sub-band. The sub-band antennas are successively placed in front of the target, transmit their signals, and record the backscattered responses. The responses are then processed and combined to synthesize an integrated signal as if it were collected from a virtual equivalent ultra-wideband antenna. By using this concept, the challenges of realizing high-performance ultra-wideband antennas in the millimeter-wave regime are alleviated as each antenna is optimized within a limited bandwidth. An imaging system will be developed based on this approach for the detection of skin tumors in ex-vivo tissue measurements. The system will be optimized and miniaturized through developing a new class of wideband, miniaturized patch antennas for use in multi-static sensor arrays. The final imaging setup will be readily applicable to point-of-care and hand-held imaging devices. The "synthetic" ultra-wideband imaging approach will lead to image resolutions which are unachievable using conventional imaging methods. The approach is versatile, as the number and position of the channels can be adjusted to cover any frequency range as required for the specific application. These capabilities bring a whole new level of functionality to millimeter-wave imaging systems and enable applications that are not currently feasible. Furthermore, the new class of wideband, miniaturized patch antennas which will be developed for the miniaturization and optimization of the final imagining setup will be highly desirable for a variety of communication and imaging applications in the millimeter-wave regime.