Novel Microwave Torso Scanner for Thoracic Fluid Accumulation Diagnosis and Monitoring

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Technology

Background:

• Thoracic fluid accumulation is an early indicator of severe diseases like lung cancer.
• Current detection methods like CT scans have limitations, including radiation exposure and inability to detect small fluid volumes.
• Microwave imaging offers a portable and accurate complementary diagnostic approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel microwave torso scanner designed for accurate and reliable thoracic fluid detection.
• To address the limitations of existing imaging modalities for early-stage fluid accumulation diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Development of a microwave torso scanner with two elliptical antenna arrays for signal transmission and reception.
• Utilizing a frequency-based imaging algorithm to process back-scattered signals and generate microwave images.
• Testing the system with a torso phantom containing small fluid volumes (3 mL) and on healthy subjects.

Main Results:

• The microwave torso scanner successfully detected and localized small fluid volumes within a torso phantom.
• Initial testing on healthy subjects was conducted to establish baseline data for healthy scenarios.
• The system demonstrated potential for detecting fluid accumulations not easily identifiable by conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• The developed microwave torso scanner is a promising, portable, and radiation-free tool for thoracic fluid detection.
• This technology can serve as a valuable complementary diagnostic method for early disease detection.
• Further clinical trials are warranted to validate the system's efficacy in patient populations.