Abstract
In developing a microwave tomography system, we started by examining the fundamental signal measurement challenges-i.e., how to interrogate the target while suppressing unwanted multi-path signals. Beginning with a lossy coupling bath to suppress unwanted surface waves, we have developed a robust and reliable system that is both simple and low profile. However, beyond the basic measurement configuration, the lossy coupling medium concept has also informed our choice of array antenna and imaging algorithms. The synergism of these concepts has produced a novel concept which is embodied in a system that has been successfully translated to the clinic.
Highlights
While there are often numerous ways to approach scientific challenges, some are often more productive than others
As we became aware of over time, multi-path signals come in a variety of forms including reflections off of illumination chamber walls, surface waves along support structures and feed lines and even as cross-channel leakage within the system electronics [4,5]
One of the more perplexing challenges with surface waves is that they are the same frequency as the desired signal and can appear as if they are the desired scattering from an object in the field of view, to how the human body’s defense mechanism has trouble distinguishing cancers from normal tissue
Summary
While there are often numerous ways to approach scientific challenges, some are often more productive than others. In the area of microwave tomography, the vast majority of efforts have started with and focused on developing algorithms to deal with the inherent nonlinearity of the problem [1,2] By itself, these nonlinear problems are very challenging and the genesis for numerous reports, books and conferences. Our motivation began with the simple question of assessing whether we could gather suitable measurement data and what were the fundamental challenges Following this line of enquiry, we quickly realized, as was well known in related microwave applications, that multi-path signal corruption was the single greatest factor in confounding our measurement systems [3]. It is not a matter of eliminating them, but attenuating them to a sufficient level that their impact on the desired signals is tolerable
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