Design and optimization of an ultra wideband and compact microwave antenna for radiometric monitoring of brain temperature

Review of the Capacity to Accurately Detect the Temperature of Human Skin Tissue Using the Microwave Radiation Method

Microwave radiometry (MWR) is instrumental in detecting thermal variations in skin tissue before anatomical changes occur, proving particularly beneficial in the early diagnosis of cancer and inflammation. This study concisely traces the evolution of microwave radiometers within the medical sector. By analyzing a plethora of pertinent studies and contrasting their strengths, weaknesses, and performance metrics, this research identifies the primary factors limiting temperature measurement accuracy. The review establishes the critical technologies necessary to overcome these limitations, examines the current state and prospective advancements of each technology, and proposes comprehensive implementation strategies. The discussion elucidates that the precise measurement of human surface and subcutaneous tissue temperatures using an MWR system is a complex challenge, necessitating an integration of antenna directionality for temperature measurement, radiometer error correction, hardware configuration, and the calibration and precision of a multilayer tissue forward and inversion method. This study delves into the pivotal technologies for non-invasive human tissue temperature monitoring in the microwave frequency range, offering an effective approach for the precise assessment of human epidermal and subcutaneous temperatures, and develops a non-contact microwave protocol for gauging subcutaneous tissue temperature distribution. It is anticipated that mass-produced measurement systems will deliver substantial economic and societal benefits.

Advancements in non-invasive microwave brain stimulation: A comprehensive survey

This survey provides a comprehensive insight into the world of non-invasive brain stimulation and focuses on the evolving landscape of deep brain stimulation through microwave research. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques provide new prospects for comprehending and treating neurological disorders. We investigate the methods shaping the future of deep brain stimulation, emphasizing the role of microwave technology in this transformative journey. Specifically, we explore antenna structures and optimization strategies to enhance the efficiency of high-frequency microwave stimulation. These advancements can potentially revolutionize the field by providing a safer and more precise means of modulating neural activity. Furthermore, we address the challenges that researchers currently face in the realm of microwave brain stimulation. From safety concerns to methodological intricacies, this survey outlines the barriers that must be overcome to fully unlock the potential of this technology. This survey serves as a roadmap for advancing research in microwave brain stimulation, pointing out potential directions and innovations that promise to reshape the field.

Evaluation of a Balloon Implant for Simultaneous Magnetic Nanoparticle Hyperthermia and High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy of Brain Tumor Resection Cavities

Previous work has reported the design of a novel thermobrachytherapy (TBT) balloon implant to deliver magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) hyperthermia and high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy simultaneously after brain tumor resection, thereby maximizing their synergistic effect. This paper presents an evaluation of the robustness of the balloon device, compatibility of its heat and radiation delivery components, as well as thermal and radiation dosimetry of the TBT balloon. TBT balloon devices with 1 and 3 cm diameter were evaluated when placed in an external magnetic field with a maximal strength of 8.1 kA/m at 133 kHz. The MNP solution (nanofluid) in the balloon absorbs energy, thereby generating heat, while an HDR source travels to the center of the balloon via a catheter to deliver the radiation dose. A 3D-printed human skull model was filled with brain-tissue-equivalent gel for in-phantom heating and radiation measurements around four 3 cm balloons. For the in vivo experiments, a 1 cm diameter balloon was surgically implanted in the brains of three living pigs (40-50 kg). The durability and robustness of TBT balloon implants, as well as the compatibility of their heat and radiation delivery components, were demonstrated in laboratory studies. The presence of the nanofluid, magnetic field, and heating up to 77 °C did not affect the radiation dose significantly. Thermal mapping and 2D infrared images demonstrated spherically symmetric heating in phantom as well as in brain tissue. In vivo pig experiments showed the ability to heat well-perfused brain tissue to hyperthermic levels (≥40 °C) at a 5 mm distance from the 60 °C balloon surface.

Contact-Free, Passive, Electromagnetic Resonant Sensors for Enclosed Biomedical Applications: A Perspective on Opportunities and Challenges

Inexpensive and accurate tools for monitoring conditions in enclosed environments (through garments, bandages, tissue, etc.) have been a long-standing goal of medicine. Passive resonant sensors are a promising solution for such wearable health sensors as well as off-body diagnostics. They are simple circuits with inherent inductance and capacitance (LC tank) that have a measurable resonant frequency. Changes in local parameters, e.g., permittivity or geometry, effect inductance and capacitance which cause a resonant frequency shift response. This signal transduction has been applied to several biomedical applications such as intracranial pressure, hemodynamics, epidermal hydration, etc. Despite these many promising applications presented in the literature, resonant sensors still do not see widespread adoption in biomedical applications, especially as wearable or embedded sensing devices. This perspective highlights some of the current challenges facing LC resonant sensors in biomedical applications, such as positional sensitivity, and potential strategies that have been developed to overcome them. An outlook on adoption in medicine and health monitoring is presented, and a perspective is given on next steps for research in this field.

A Core Body Temperature Retrieval Method for Microwave Radiometry when Tissue Permittivity is Unknown

This paper presents a novel method for core temperature retrieval using microwave radiometry when complex permittivity and heat transfer parameters of the tissue layers of the human subject are unknown. Previous works present methods for core temperature retrieval, but these methods do not account for population variation in the relevant electromagnetic and thermal parameters, which can increase measurement error beyond the clinically acceptable limit of 0.5°C. Pennes' bioheat model of a six-tissue-layer human head model combined with a coherent electromagnetic model simulate experimental data. To retrieve core temperature, nonlinear least squares optimization is then used to minimize the difference between the simulated experimental data and an exponential model for physical temperature and the coherent electromagnetic model. By using 20 frequencies spanning from 1-5 GHz, core temperature is retrieved while accounting for population variation in the permittivity and thermal parameters. A Monte Carlo simulation in which the thermal parameters and permittivity vary according to literature-derived, population-representative distributions and the core body temperature varies from 18-46°C is used to assess the utility of the retrieval method. Different antenna patterns are tested to explore the effect on retrieval accuracy. The retrieval method has a retrieval error of <0.1°C when only the thermal parameters are unknown and a retrieval error of <0.5°C when the thermal parameters and permittivity are unknown, which is within the clinically acceptable error range of 0.5°C. These results help progress the field of medical microwave radiometry toward being a clinically viable noninvasive measurement that is accurate when measuring all patients.

High-Contrast Low-Loss Antenna: A Novel Antenna for Efficient Into-Body Radiation

We present a biocompatible high-contrast low-loss antenna (HCLA) designed for efficient into-body radiation for applications as diverse as medical telemetry, sensing, and imaging. The HCLA is wearable with a compact size of 2.62 cm3 and operates across the 1 to 5 GHz bandwidth. The quasi-bowtie antenna is loaded with a high-contrast (i.e., alternating layers of high and low permittivity materials) and low-loss dielectric to improve directivity and gain into the biological tissues. Measurement results at 2.4 GHz are in good agreement with simulations and show 5.72 dB improvement in transmission loss over the most efficient into-body radiator reported in the past. At the high end of the frequency bandwidth, simulation results for two antennas placed across each other with tissue in between show ~12.5 dB improvement in transmission loss. The HCLA is fabricated with stable, low-loss materials that allow for repeatability and consistency in the fabrication process, thus, addressing limitations of the current state-of-the-art. It is also made from biocompatible materials that enable it to be placed directly on the skin for real-world implementation. In this paper, we discuss the operation principle and design of the HCLA, its transmission performance, radiation patterns, and specific absorption rate.

Development of a Coherent Model for Radiometric Core Body Temperature Sensing

This paper examines the utility of a wideband, physics-based model to determine human core body or brain temperature via microwave radiometry. Pennes's bioheat equation is applied to a six-layer human head model to generate the expected layered temperature profile during the development of a fever. The resulting temperature profile is fed into the forward electromagnetic (EM) model to determine the emitted brightness temperature at various points in time. To accurately retrieve physical temperature via radiometry, the utilized model must incorporate population variation statistics and cover a wide frequency band. The effect of human population variation on emitted brightness temperature is studied by varying the relevant thermal and EM parameters, and brightness temperature emissions are simulated from 0.1 MHz to 10 GHz. A Monte Carlo simulation combined with literature-derived statistical distributions for the thermal and EM parameters is performed to analyze population-level variation in resulting brightness temperature. Variation in thermal parameters affects the offset of the resulting brightness temperature signature, while EM parameter variation shifts the key maxima and minima of the signature. The layering of high and low permittivity layers creates these key maxima and minima via wave interference. This study is one of the first to apply a coherent model to and the first to examine the effect of population-representative variable distributions on radiometry for core temperature measurement. These results better inform the development of an on-body radiometer useful for core body temperature measurement across the human population.

Portable, handheld, and affordable blood perfusion imager for screening of subsurface cancer in resource-limited settings

Existing procedures of screening subsurface cancers are either prohibitively resource-intensive and expensive or are unable to provide direct quantitative estimates of the relevant physiological parameters for accurate classification accommodating interpatient variabilities and overlapping clinical manifestations. Here, we introduce a handheld and inexpensive blood perfusion imager that provides a noninvasive in situ screening approach for distinguishing precancer, cancer, and normal scenarios by precise quantitative estimation of the localized blood circulation in the tissue over an unrestricted region of interest without any unwarranted noise in the data, augmented by machine learning–based classification. Clinical trials in minimally resourced settings have established the efficacy of the method in differentiating cancerous and precancerous stages of suspected oral abnormalities, as verified by gold-standard biopsy reports.

Precise information on localized variations in blood circulation holds the key for noninvasive diagnostics and therapeutic assessment of various forms of cancer. While thermal imaging by itself may provide significant insights on the combined implications of the relevant physiological parameters, viz. local blood perfusion and metabolic balance due to active tumors as well as the ambient conditions, knowledge of the tissue surface temperature alone may be somewhat inadequate in distinguishing between some ambiguous manifestations of precancer and cancerous lesions, resulting in compromise of the selectivity in detection. This, along with the lack of availability of a user-friendly and inexpensive portable device for thermal-image acquisition, blood perfusion mapping, and data integration acts as a deterrent against the emergence of an inexpensive, contact-free, and accurate in situ screening and diagnostic approach for cancer detection and management. Circumventing these constraints, here we report a portable noninvasive blood perfusion imager augmented with machine learning–based quantitative analytics for screening precancerous and cancerous traits in oral lesions, by probing the localized alterations in microcirculation. With a proven overall sensitivity >96.66% and specificity of 100% as compared to gold-standard biopsy-based tests, the method successfully classified oral cancer and precancer in a resource-limited clinical setting in a double-blinded patient trial and exhibited favorable predictive capabilities considering other complementary modes of medical image analysis as well. The method holds further potential to achieve contrast-free, accurate, and low-cost diagnosis of abnormal microvascular physiology and other clinically vulnerable conditions, when interpreted along with complementary clinically evidenced decision-making perspectives.

Experimental tissue mimicking human head phantom for estimation of stroke using IC-CF-DMAS algorithm in microwave based imaging system

This paper presents the preparation and measurement of tissue-mimicking head phantom and its validation with the iteratively corrected coherence factor delay-multiply-and-sum (IC-CF-DMAS) algorithm for brain stroke detection. The phantom elements are fabricated by using different chemical mixtures that imitate the electrical properties of real head tissues (CSF, dura, gray matter, white matter, and blood/stroke) over the frequency band of 1–4 GHz. The electrical properties are measured using the open-ended dielectric coaxial probe connected to a vector network analyzer. Individual phantom elements are placed step by step in a three-dimensional skull. The IC-CF-DMAS image reconstruction algorithm is later applied to the phantom to evaluate the effectiveness of detecting stroke. The phantom elements are preserved and measured multiple times in a week to validate the overall performance over time. The electrical properties of the developed phantom emulate the similar properties of real head tissue. Moreover, the system can also effectively detect the stroke from the developed phantom. The experimental results demonstrate that the developed tissue-mimicking head phantom is time-stable, and it shows a good agreement with the theoretical results in detecting and reconstructing the stroke images that could be used in investigating as a supplement to the real head tissue.

Toward Non-Invasive Core Body Temperature Sensing

This paper aims to explore the potential of a novel radiometry technique that leverages bio-matched antennas (BMAs), broadband measurements, and forward modeling of layered tissues for non-invasive and accurate core temperature monitoring. Our approach relies on the observation that electromagnetic waves penetrate to different depths depending on their frequency and dielectric properties of the medium and adapts radiative transfer models that have been successfully implemented in the past for layered geophysical media. Preliminary modeling and experimental results confirm feasibility.

A Review of Flexible Wearable Antenna Sensors: Design, Fabrication Methods, and Applications

This review paper summarizes various approaches developed in the literature for antenna sensors with an emphasis on flexible solutions. The survey helps to recognize the limitations and advantages of this technology. Furthermore, it offers an overview of the main points for the development and design of flexible antenna sensors from the selection of the materials to the framing of the antenna including the different scenario applications. With regard to wearable antenna sensors deployment, a review of the textile materials that have been employed is also presented. Several examples related to human body applications of flexible antenna sensors such as the detection of NaCl and sugar solutions, blood and bodily variables such as temperature, strain, and finger postures are also presented. Future investigation directions and research challenges are proposed.

Design of Cavity-Backed Bow-Tie Antenna with Matching Layer for Human Body Application

This paper presents the broadband antenna for the microwave radiometric sensing of internal body temperature. For broadband operation, the bow-tie antenna was designed and backed with a cylindrical cavity, which decreased environmental electromagnetic interference and also improved the directivity of the antenna. The broadband impedance-transforming balun in microstrip form was also designed to feed the bow-tie antenna, and was located inside the cavity. An impedance-matching dielectric layer (IMDL) was introduced on top of the bow-tie antenna, for impedance match with the human body with high permittivity. The fabricated antenna was measured in free space with the IMDL removed, showing an input reflection coefficient lower than -10 dB from 2.64 to > 3.60 GHz with antenna gain over 6.0 dBi and radiation efficiency over 74.7% from 2.7 to 3.5 GHz. The IMDL was re-installed on the cavity-backed bow-tie antenna to measure the antenna performance for the human head with relative permittivity of about 40. The measured reflection coefficient was as low as -28.9 dB at 2.95 GHz and lower than -10 dB from 2.65 to > 3.5 GHz. It was also shown that the designed antenna recovered a good impedance match by adjusting the permittivity and thickness of the IMDL for the different parts of the human body with different permittivities.

Pre-Clinical Testing of Microwave Radiometer and a Pilot Study on the Screening Inflammation of Knee Joints

This article presents the pre-clinical evaluation of our custom-built, single-band microwave radiometer centered at 1.3 GHz for deep tissue thermometry, and a pilot study on volunteers for passive detection of inflammation in knee joints. The electromagnetic (EM) compatibility of the battery-operated radiometer for clinical use was assessed as per International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR) 22 standard. The ability to detect inflammation in knee joints was assessed using a substrate integrated waveguide antenna connected to the radiometer. EM compatibility tests carried out in the laboratory indicated device immunity to intentional radiated interference up to -20 dBm injected power in the global system for mobile communication frequency band, and pre-compliance to CISPR 22 standard. Radiometer temperature measurements recorded at the lateral and medial aspects of both knees of 41 volunteers indicated mean temperature greater than 33°C for the diseased sites compared with the mean temperature of 28°C measured for the healthy sites. One-way analysis of variance statistics indicated significantly (P < 0.005) higher radiometer temperature at the diseased sites unlike the healthy sites. Thus, the EM pre-compliance of the device and the potential to measure deep tissue inflammation were demonstrated. Bioelectromagnetics. 2019;40:402-411. © 2019 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

Design and Simulation Analysis of a 17 Element Spiral Antenna Array for Brain Imaging

In this paper, a simple Archemedian spiral antenna fed by a 6-section exponential impedance transformer cum parallel-strip to microstrip balun is presented. Antenna and the balun are designed for ultra wide-band (UWB) (1.6-12 GHz) frequency range. Using this antenna, a 17 element array helmet is simulated in 3-5 GHz band, around CST voxel model of human brain with a 1 cm blood-clot introduced in it. A comparison of difference in reflection loss with and without tumor for various antenna positions is carried out.

Multi-physics modeling to study the influence of tissue compression and cold stress on enhancing breast tumor detection using microwave radiometry

The influence of tissue compression and external thermal modulation on passive detection of breast tumors using medical microwave radiometry was investigated using multi-physics numerical modeling. A three-dimensional numerical model of the pendant breast with 10 and 6 mm diameter tumors at varying depths (15 mm, 30 mm) was analyzed at thermodynamic equilibrium using a circular waveguide as the receive antenna. The contrast in the brightness temperature, ΔT_B , between the unhealthy and healthy breasts was found to be significantly more for breast compression alone, compared to thermal modulation of the tissue surface, irrespective of tissue composition, tumor size, and depth. The study also concludes that small deep-seated tumor with very low metabolic activity that is not detectable by a radiometer with 0.1 °C sensitivity could be detected under breast compression and short duration cold stress. Thus, detection of deep-seated breast tumors can be significantly improved under controlled tissue compression with an optional cold stress. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2019 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

A Compact Ultrawideband Antenna Based on Hexagonal Split-Ring Resonator for pH Sensor Application

A compact ultrawideband (UWB) antenna based on a hexagonal split-ring resonator (HSRR) is presented in this paper for sensing the pH factor. The modified HSRR is a new concept regarding the conventional square split-ring resonator (SSRR). Two HSRRs are interconnected with a strip line and a split in one HSRR is introduced to increase the electrical length and coupling effect. The presented UWB antenna consists of three unit cells on top of the radiating patch element. This combination of UWB antenna and HSRR gives double-negative characteristics which increase the sensitivity of the UWB antenna for the pH sensor. The proposed ultrawideband antenna metamaterial sensor was designed and fabricated on FR-4 substrate. The electrical length of the proposed metamaterial antenna sensor is 0.238 × 0.194 × 0.016 λ, where λ is the lowest frequency of 3 GHz. The fractional bandwidth and bandwidth dimension ratio were achieved with the metamaterial-inspired antenna as 146.91% and 3183.05, respectively. The operating frequency of this antenna sensor covers the bandwidth of 17 GHz, starting from 3 to 20 GHz with a realized gain of 3.88 dB. The proposed HSRR-based ultrawideband antenna sensor is found to reach high gain and bandwidth while maintaining the smallest electrical size, a highly desired property for pH-sensing applications.

The effect of using a dielectric matching medium in focused microwave radiometry: an anatomically detailed head model study

Microwave radiometry is a passive technique used to measure in-depth temperature distributions inside the human body, potentially useful in clinical applications. Experimental data imply that it may provide the capability of detecting in-depth local variations of temperature and/or conductivity of excitable tissues at microwave frequencies. Specifically, microwave radiometry may allow the real-time monitoring of brain temperature and/or conductivity changes, associated with local brain activation. In this paper, recent results of our ongoing research regarding the capabilities of focused microwave radiometry for brain intracranial applications are presented. Electromagnetic and thermal simulation analysis was performed using an anatomically detailed head model and a dielectric cap as matching medium placed around it, in order to improve the sensitivity and the focusing attributes of the system. The theoretical results were compared to experimental data elicited while exploring that the sensing depth and spatial resolution of the proposed imaging method at 2.1 GHz areas located 3 cm deep inside the brain can be measured, while at 2.5 GHz, the sensing area is confined specifically to the area of interest. The results exhibit the system's potential as a complementary brain imaging tool for multifrequency in-depth passive monitoring which could be clinically useful for therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications.

Dielectric properties measurements of brown and white adipose tissue in rats from 0.5 to 10 GHz

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays an important role in whole body metabolism and with appropriate stimulus could potentially mediate weight gain and insulin sensitivity. Although imaging techniques are available to detect subsurface BAT, there are currently no viable methods for continuous acquisition of BAT energy expenditure. Microwave (MW) radiometry is an emerging technology that allows the quantification of tissue temperature variations at depths of several centimeters. Such temperature differentials may be correlated with variations in metabolic rate, thus providing a quantitative approach to monitor BAT metabolism. In order to optimize MW radiometry, numerical and experimental phantoms with accurate dielectric properties are required to develop and calibrate radiometric sensors. Thus, we present for the first time, the characterization of relative permittivity and electrical conductivity of brown (BAT) and white (WAT) adipose tissues in rats across the MW range 0.5-10GHz. Measurements were carried out in situ and post mortem in six female rats of approximately 200g. A Cole-Cole model was used to fit the experimental data into a parametric model that describes the variation of dielectric properties as a function of frequency. Measurements confirm that the dielectric properties of BAT (εr = 14.0-19.4, σ = 0.3-3.3S/m) are significantly higher than those of WAT (εr = 9.1-11.9, σ = 0.1-1.9S/m), in accordance with the higher water content of BAT.