Microwave-induced thermoelastic tissue imaging

A prototype microwave-induced thermoelastic tissue imaging system was designed to acquire and process two-dimensional projections of various sizes test tubes filled with tissue equivalent materials. A test object is immersed in a tank of water at whose surface single microwave pulses of 2 mu s at a carrier frequency of 2450 MHz are launched. Thermoelastic waves induced at the water surface are detected, on propagating through the object material, by a 20*20 piezoelectric transducer array at the bottom of the water tank. A computer-controlled data acquisition system samples and converts the amplified and bandlimited signals into digital form. The system produces images interactively through the use of image processing techniques. Results are presented to demonstrate the potential use of microwave-induced thermoelastic waves as a possible medical imaging modality.<>