Impulse Radar Technology Research Articles

A Novel Method for the Detection of External Insulation Defects Based on the Ultrawideband Impulse Radar Technology

A Novel Method for the Detection of External Insulation Defects Based on the Ultrawideband Impulse Radar Technology

60 GHz Low-Noise Amplifier for Detection Systems

This paper presents a 60 GHz low-noise amplifier (LNA) to improve detection systems performance. The considered system is based on impulse radar technology. The LNA is designed in GaAs metamorphic High Electron Mobility Transistor (m-HEMT) technology. Three stages common source transistors are used with inductive degeneration for a good tradeoff between gain and noise. The post-layout simulation results show a noise factor of 2.06 dB and a gain of 14.5 dB at 60.2 GHz, for a power consumption of 13.5 mW. The simulated nonlinear characteristics show an IP 1dB (Input 1 dB compression Point) of -10 dBm and an IIP3 (Input third-order Intercept Point) of -4.4 dBm. The LNA occupies an area of 1.56 × 1.29 mm2.

Using micropower impulse radar technology to screen for pneumothorax

Using micropower impulse radar technology to screen for pneumothorax

Using micropower impulse radar technology to screen for pneumothorax

Pneumothoraces (PTXs) are a common entity in thoracic trauma. Micropower impulse radar (MIR) has been able to detect PTXs in surgical patients. However, this technology has not been tested previously on trauma patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of MIR to detect clinically significant PTXs. We hypothesized that MIR technology can effectively screen trauma patients for clinically significant PTXs. This was a prospective observational study in Level I trauma centers in Boston, Massachusetts, and Bern, Switzerland. All trauma patients undergoing a chest computed tomographic (CT) scan were eligible for the study. Consent was obtained, and readings were performed within 30 minutes before or after the CT scan. The patients had eight lung fields tested (four on each side). The qualitative and quantitative MIR results were blinded and stored on the device. We then compared the results of the MIR to the CT scan and the need for chest tube drainage. We defined PTXs as clinically significant if they required a chest tube. Seventy-five patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 46 ± 16 years. Eighty-four percent were male. The screening test took approximately 1 minute. All but two patients had blunt chest trauma. Six true-positives, 6 false-positives, 63 true-negatives, and 0 false-negatives resulted in an overall sensitivity of 100%. MIR is an easy to use handheld technology that effectively screened patients for clinically significant PTXs, with a sensitivity and negative predictive value of 100%. MIR may be used for rapid, repeatable, and ongoing surveillance of trauma patients. Diagnostic study, level III.

Can handheld micropower impulse radar technology be used to detect pneumothorax? Initial experience in a European trauma centre

BackgroundPneumothoraces are a common injury pattern in emergency medicine. Rapid and safe identification can reduce morbidity and mortality. A new handheld, battery powered device, the Pneumoscan (CE 561036, PneumoSonics Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA), using micropower impulse radar (MIR) technology, has recently been introduced in Europe for the rapid and reliable detection of PTX. However, this technology has not yet been tested in trauma patients. This is the first quality control evaluation to report on emergency room performance of a new device used in the trauma setting. Material and methodsThis study was performed at a Level I trauma centre in Switzerland. All patients with thoracic trauma and undergoing chest X-ray and CT-scan were eligible for the study. Readings were performed before the chest X-ray and CT scan. The patients had eight lung fields tested (four on each side). All readings with the Pneumoscan were performed by two junior residents in our department who had previously received an instructional tutorial of 15min. The qualitative MIR results were blinded, and stored on the device. We then compared the results of the MIR to those of the clinical examination, chest X-ray and CT-scan. Results50 patients were included, with a mean age of 46 (SD 17) years. Seven patients presented with PTX diagnosed by CT; six of these were detected by Pneumoscan, leading to an overall sensitivity of 85.7 (95% confidence interval 42.1–99.6)%. Only two of seven PTX were found during clinical examination and on chest X-ray (sensitivity 28.6 (95% CI 3.7–71.0)%). Of the remaining 43 of 50 patients without PTX, one false-positive PTX was found by the Pneumoscan, resulting in a specificity of 97.7 (95% CI 87.7–99.9)%. DiscussionThe Pneumoscan is an easy to use handheld technology with reliable results. In this series, the sensitivity to detect a PTX by the Pneumoscan was higher than by clinical examination and chest X-ray. Further studies with higher case numbers and a prospective study design are needed to confirm our findings.

AN EXAMPLE OF HOLOGRAPHIC RADAR USING AT RESTORATION WORKS OF HISTORICAL BUILDING

The former Senate building, Saint-Petersburg, Russia is being refltted for using it by the Constitutional court of Russian Federation. The team of Remote Sensing Laboratory was invited to participate in this work. The case is that the under∞oor water heating system had been installed in the Senate building. The arrangement of pipes hasn't been precisely documented. Besides, there are power and communications cables as well as metal mesh under the concrete ∞oor of the building. Workers were afraid of damaging pipes and cables during laying the parquet ∞oor. Main purpose was to investigate the building ∞oor and to deflne exact position of pipes and cables with the help of subsurface holographic radars developed by Remote Sensing Laboratory. 1. INTRODUCTION The paper covers a possible use of holographic subsurface radars difierent from traditional impulse radars (1). They are distinguished by the type of frequency spectrum. The impulse radar has continuous frequency spectrum while the holographic radar has discrete one. Impulse radars have larger penetration depths because they have variable ampliflcation in the stroboscopic receiver. The signal re∞ected from deeper objects is amplifled more than the signal from shallow objects. This is the main advantage of impulse radars. The holographic radar has the same ampliflcation for all objects. In this case, the penetration depth depends on medium attenuation and its homogeneity at shallow depths. Shallow heterogeneities would shade deeper objects in recorded images. At shallow depths, the holographic radar has a distinct advantage in resolution over the impulse radar because the radar frequency range can be easily adapted to the demands of a particular task. Another extremely important advantage of this holographic radar technology is the possibility to image, without reverberation, dielectric materials that lie above a metal surface (2). Such materials cannot be efiectively inspected with traditional time-domain impulse radar technology. Reverberation of pulses between the radar antenna and shallow metal objects obscures the actual location and shape of these objects which are seen as multiple re∞ections (often called ghosts or phantoms) of the transmitted impulse signal on a relatively uniform background (3). Holographic radars could be easily adapted to the US Federal Communications Commission regulations and demands as the radar can use free frequency bands that don't interfere with other devices. Also, they are cheaper than impulse radars. 2. EXPERIMENTS