Microwave Imaging for Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Monitoring

描述(申请人提供)：乳腺的微波断层成像已成功进入初步临床测试，用于监测乳腺癌新辅助化疗的治疗反应。达特茅斯微波成像团队在诊断和治疗监测环境中进行了500多次乳房检查，证明恢复的内源性介电特性图像对于区分肿瘤和正常组织以及后续治疗反应具有高度特异性。在最初的治疗监测患者研究中，结果表明，早在治疗开始后30天就获得的图像与病理结果有很好的相关性。在这个项目中，达特茅斯微波成像集团将与通用电气(GE)的全球研究中心合作，进一步提炼和优化当前的技术，作为将其转化为临床的重要一步。设计修改的构思是为了利用最佳工程实践推进技术，并为双中心成像研究做准备。由于目前的系统使用的测量数据量适中，计算要求是世界上任何微波断层成像系统中最低的，因此总体成本将保持较低水平，系统配置将保持简单性。为第二个地点进行设计将需要对目前的系统施加更大程度的额外严格要求，以确保它能够在偏远地点可靠和有效地运行。改进将结合先前证实的空间先前技术，旨在隔离预定区域的介电特性恢复-特别是在肿瘤、纤维腺和脂肪组织中，而不会过度偏向最终图像。此外，还将改进和增加多频率成像方法，以增加恢复数据的光谱含量，从而提高重建过程的特异性。这些创新中的每一项都将被纳入新的紧凑和便携设计中，其中特别注意了临床工作流程的要求。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Microwave tomographic imaging of the breast has successfully advanced to initial clinical testing for monitoring treatment response to breast cancer neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The Dartmouth microwave imaging team has performed over 500 breast exams in both diagnostic and therapy monitoring settings which have demonstrated that recovered images of the endogenous dielectric properties are highly specific to distinguishing tumor from normal tissue, and to following response to therapy. In initial therapy monitoring patient studies, results indicate that images acquired as early as 30 days after the start of treatment correlate well with pathological outcomes. In this project, the Dartmouth microwave imaging group will team with General Electric's (GE's) Global Research Center to further refine and optimize the current technology as an important step towards translating it into the clinic. Design modifications are conceived to advance the technology using best engineering practices and to prepare it for a two center imaging study. Because the current system utilizes a modest amount of measurement data and has the lowest computational requirements of any microwave tomographic system world-wide, the overall costs will remain low and system configuration simplicity will be preserved. Designing for a second site will require a significant level of additional rigor be applied to the current system to ensure that it an be operated reliably and efficiently at a remote site. Refinements will incorporate previously proven spatial prior techniques designed to isolate the dielectric property recovery in pre-determined zones - specifically in tumor, and fibroglandular and adipose tissues without unduly biasing the final images. In addition, multi-frequency imaging methods will be refined and added to increase the spectral content of the recovered data and subsequently to improve the specificity of the reconstruction process. Each of these innovations will be incorporated into the new compact and portable design where special attention has been paid to clinical workflow requirements.