Non-Invasive Near-Field Measurement Setup Based on Modulated Scatterer Technique Applied to Microwave Tomographhy

Résumé L’objectif principal de cette thèse est d’aborder la conception et le développement d’un montage d’imagerie en champ proche (CP) basé sur la technique de diffusion modulé (TDM). La TDM est une approche bien connue et utilisée pour des applications où des mesures précises et sans perturbations sont nécessaire. Parmi les applications possibles disponibles pour la fabrication d’une sonde TDM, que ce soit électrique, optique, mécanique, le diffuseur optique modulé DOM a été pris en considération afin de fournir des mesures quasi sans-perturbations en raison de l’invisibilité des fibres optiques face aux champs radiofréquence électromagnétiques. La sonde est composée d’une puce photodiode commerciale “off-the-shelf” (dispositif non-linéaire), d’une antenne dipôle courte agissant comme diffuseur et un réseau d’adaptation (cir¬cuit passif). Cet dernieér améliore les propriétés de diffusion et augmente également la sensibilité de la sonde DOM dans la bande de fréquence pour laquelle le réseau correspondant est optimisé. Les caractéristiques de rayonnement de la sonde, y compris sa réponse de polarisation croisée et sa sensibilité omnidirectionnelle, ont été théoriquement et expérimentalement étudiés. Enfin, la performance et la fia¬bilité de la sonde a été étudiée en comparant des mesures de distribution de champs proche avec une distribution de champs simulé. Une vitesse d’imagerie accrue a été obtenue utilisant un réseau de sondes DOM, ce qui réduit les mouvements mécaniques résultant ansi en une amélioration remarquable de la vitesse de mesure. Le couplage mutuel, le temps de commutation et l’effet d’obscurité, des effets qui peuvent affecter les performances du réseau ont été explorés. Ensuite, les résultats obtenus par le réseau ont été validé par une imagerie CP en mesurant la distribution des champs E d’une antenne sous test (AST) et la comparant à des résultats de simulation. Une calibration et un calcul de moyenne ont été appliqués à des données brutes pour com¬penser pour les incertitudes dans la fabrication et l’interaction entre réseau/AST et réseau/antenne de réception. La plage dynamique et la linéarité de la réponse de l’imagerie CP ont été améliorées en ajoutant un circuit suppresseur de porteuse en avant de l’antenne. Le suppresseur élimine la porteuse sur laquelle aucune information n’est transmise et laisse les bandes latérales intactes.----------Abstract The main focus of this thesis is to address the design and development of a near-field (NF) imaging setup based on the modulated scatterer technique (MST). MST is a well-known approach used in applications where accurate and perturbation-free mea¬surement results are necessary. Of the possible implementations available for making an MST probe, including electrical, optical and mechanical, the optically modulated scatterer OMS was considered in order to provide nearly perturbation-free measure¬ment due to the invisibility of optical fiber to the radio-frequency electromagnetic fields. The OMS probe consists of a commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) photodiode chip (nonlinear device), a short-dipole antenna acting as a scatterer and a match¬ing network (passive circuit). The latter improves the scattering properties and also increases the sensitivity of the OMS probe within the frequency range in which the matching network is optimized. The radiation characteristics of the probe, includ-ing cross-polarization response and omnidirectional sensitivity, were both theoreti¬cally and experimentally investigated. Finally, the performance and reliability of the probe was studied by comparing measured near-field distributions on a known field distribution with simulations. Increased imaging speed was obtained using an array of OMS probes, which re¬duces mechanical movements. Mutual-coupling, switching time and shadowing effect, which all may affect the performance of the array, were investigated. Then, the re¬sults obtained by the array were validated in a NF imager by measuring the E-field distribution of an antenna under test (AUT) and comparing it with a simulation. Cal¬ibration and data averaging were applied to raw data to compensate the probes for uncertainties in fabrication and interaction between array/AUT and array/receiving antenna. Dynamic range and linearity of the developed NF imager was improved by adding a carrier canceller circuit to the front-end of the receiver. The canceller eliminates the carrier on which no information is transmitted and leaves the sidebands intact. This enables us to increase the amplification gain to achieve better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and more importantly to expand the imager’s dynamic range

Antenna Measurement

ISBN 978-953-7619-67-

Highly parallel Monte-Carlo simulations of the acousto-optic effect in heterogeneous turbid media

The development of a highly parallel simulation of the acousto-optic effect is detailed. The simulation supports optically heterogeneous simulation domains under insonification by arbitrary monochromatic ultrasound fields. An adjoint method for acousto-optics is proposed to permit point-source/point-detector simulations. The flexibility and efficiency of this simulation code is demonstrated in the development of spatial absorption sensitivity maps which are in broad agreement with current experimental investigations. The simulation code has the potential to provide guidance in the feasibility and optimization of future studies of the acousto-optic technique, and its speed may permit its use as part of an iterative inversion model

Correlation transfer equation for ultrasound-modulated multiply scattered light

In this paper, we develop a temporal correlation transfer equation (CTE) for ultrasound-modulated multiply scattered light. The equation can be used to obtain the time-varying specific intensity of light produced by a nonuniform ultrasound field in optically scattering media that have a heterogeneous distribution of optical parameters. We also develop a Monte Carlo algorithm that can provide the spatial distribution of the optical power spectrum in optically scattering media with focused ultrasound fields, and heterogeneous distributions of optically scattering and absorbing objects. Derivation of the CTE is based on the ladder diagram approximation of the Bethe-Salpeter equation that assumes moderate ultrasound pressures. We expect the CTE to be applicable to a wide spectrum of conditions in the ultrasound-modulated optical tomography of soft biological tissues

Magnetomotive Molecular Nanoprobes

Tremendous developments in the field of biomedical imaging in the past two decades have resulted in the transformation of anatomical imaging to molecular-specific imaging. The main approaches towards imaging at a molecular level are the development of high resolution imaging modalities with high penetration depths and increased sensitivity, and the development of molecular probes with high specificity. The development of novel molecular contrast agents and their success in molecular optical imaging modalities have lead to the emergence of molecular optical imaging as a more versatile and capable technique for providing morphological, spatial, and functional information at the molecular level with high sensitivity and precision, compared to other imaging modalities. In this review, we discuss a new class of dynamic contrast agents called magnetomotive molecular nanoprobes for molecular-specific imaging. Magnetomotive agents are superparamagnetic nanoparticles, typically iron-oxide, that are physically displaced by the application of a small modulating external magnetic field. Dynamic phase-sensitive position measurements are performed using any high resolution imaging modality, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), ultrasonography, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The dynamics of the magnetomotive agents can be used to extract the biomechanical tissue properties in which the nanoparticles are bound, and the agents can be used to deliver therapy via magnetomotive displacements to modulate or disrupt cell function, or hyperthermia to kill cells. These agents can be targeted via conjugation to antibodies, and in vivo targeted imaging has been shown in a carcinogeninduced rat mammary tumor model. The iron-oxide nanoparticles also exhibit negative T2 contrast in MRI, and modulations can produce ultrasound imaging contrast for multimodal imaging application

Contribution to the Design AND Implementation of a Microwave Tomography System for Breast Cancer Detection

Abstract This thesis represents a contribution to the design and implementation of a microwave tomography system applied to breast cancer detection. Microwave tomography is an imaging technique that aims to reconstruct the permittivity and conductivity of an unknown object from measurements of its scattered field. This technique has been used in a variety of applications such as non-destructive testing, geophysical surveys and biomedical imaging. Here, we will concentrate in the breast cancer detection, where this technique has received a lot of attention in the recent years. A microwave tomography system usually involves two separate parts, a measurement system capable of performing accurate measurements of the scattered field and a set of algorithms for solving the inverse problem of retrieving the permittivity and conductivity spatial distribution of the unknown object from the scattered field measurements. This inverse problem is particularly difficult to solve, since it is non-linear and ill posed. In order to achieve a good reconstruction of the object, we need to illuminate it under several independent conditions, such as different antenna positions, frequencies or polarizations. In this thesis, we concentrate in the design of an efficient illumination configuration that tries to maximize the quality of the reconstructed images. After a literature review, it is observed that most of the proposed measurement systems share a common configuration, where in order to maximize the comfort of the patient; the antennas are arranged in a cylindrical or hemi-spherical configuration. On the other hand, the most popular method for breast cancer detection is mammography, where an X-ray image of the compressed breast at two different projections is performed. Taking this into account, two alternative configurations based on a compression of the breast are proposed, the camera and waveguide configurations. The main hypothesis behind this proposition is that a compression of the breast will allow placing the receivers very close to the breast where it is possible to measure the evanescent component of the scattered field and thus allow an enhancement of the quality of the reconstructed images. In order to prove this hypothesis, a rigorous study of the proposed configurations against a classical circular tomography setup is performed, and we determine under what conditions the reconstructed images can be enhanced. Next, the placement of the receiving antennas very close to the object under test, poses some challenges for an accurate measurement of the scattered fields, since the measurement probe itself can distort the quantity to be measured. For this purpose, an enhanced version of a previously designed near-field probe based on the modulated scattering technique is designed and validated. The probe is then used in the practical implementation of the proposed waveguide configuration. polarisations à l’intérieur du guide d’onde.----------Résumé Cette thèse représente une contribution à la conception et mise en œuvre d’un système de tomographie micro-onde pour la détection du cancer du sein. La tomographie micro-onde est une technique d’imagerie donc le but est de reconstruire la permittivité et la conductivité d’un objet inconnu à partir des mesures du champ diffusé par l’objet. Cette technique a été utilisée dans une variété d'applications comme le control non-destructif, la géophysique et l’imagerie biomédicale. Dans cette thèse, l'emphase sera mise sur la détection du cancer du sein, où cette technique a reçu énormément d’attention dans les années précédentes. Un système de tomographie micro-onde est normalement composé de deux parties séparées; un système de mesures capable de fournir des mesures précises du champ diffusé et une série d’algorithmes capable de retrouver la distribution spatiale de la permittivité et la conductivité de l’objet inconnu à partir des mesures du champ diffusé. Ce problème inverse est particulièrement difficile à résoudre, puisqu’il est non-linéaire et mal posé. Dans le but d’obtenir une bonne reconstruction de l’objet, il est nécessaire d’illuminer l’objet sous une série de conditions indépendantes, comme différentes positions d’antenne, des fréquences ou des polarisations. Dans cette thèse, l'emphase sera mise sur la conception d’une configuration d’illumination efficace qui essaie de maximiser la qualité des images reconstruites. Après une revue de littérature, on observe que la plupart des systèmes de mesures partagent une configuration commune o\`u les antennes sont placées sur une configuration cylindrique ou hémisphérique pour maximiser le confort de la patiente. D’un autre coté, la méthode la plus populaire pour le dépistage du cancer du sein est la mammographie, o\`u on utilise une image à rayons X du sein compressé en deux projections. En prenant compte de ce fait, on propose deux configurations alternatives basées sur la compression du sein, les configurations caméra et guide d’onde. L’hypothèse derrière cette proposition est que la compression du sein permet de placer les capteurs très près de ce dernier donc il est possible de mesurer la composante évanescente du champ diffusé, ce qui pourrait permettre l'amélioration de la qualité des images reconstruites. Afin de prouver cette hypothèse, une étude rigoureuse des configurations proposées et sa comparaison avec une configuration classique de tomographie circulaire est réalisée. Grace à cette étude on détermine les conditions qui permettent d’améliorer les images reconstruites. Le placement des capteurs très proche de l’objet sous test représente un défi pour une mesure précise des champs diffusés, puisque le capteur lui-même peut perturber le signal à mesurer. Pour cette raison, une version améliorée d’une sonde de mesure en champ proche basé sur la technique de diffusion modulée est conçue et validée. La sonde est utilisée pour la mise en œuvre de la configuration guide d’onde proposée. Un réseau d’antennes est développé pour l’excitation de différents modes avec différente

Research relative to angular distribution of snow reflectance/snow cover characterization and microwave emission

Remote sensing has been applied in recent years to monitoring snow cover properties for applications in hydrologic and energy balance modeling. In addition, snow cover has been recently shown to exert a considerable local influence on weather variables. Of particular importance is the potential of sensors to provide data on the physical properties of snow with high spatial and temporal resolution. Visible and near-infrared measurements of upwelling radiance can be used to infer near-surface properties through the calculation of albedo. Microwave signals usually come from deeper within the snow pack and thus provide depth-integrated information, which can be measured through clouds and does not relay on solar illumination.Fundamental studies examining the influence of snow properties on signals from various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum continue in part because of the promise of new remote sensors with higher spectral and spatial accuracy. Information in the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum comprise nearly all available data with high spatial resolution. Current passive microwave sensors have poor spatial resolution and the data are problematic where the scenes consist of mixed landscape features, but they offer timely observations that are independent of cloud cover and solar illumination

Ultrasound-modulated optical tomography in soft biological tissues

Optical imaging of soft biological tissues is highly desirable since it is nonionizing and provides sensitive contrast information which enables detection of physiological functions and abnormalities, including potentially early cancer detection. However, due to the diffusion of light, it is dificult to achieve simultaneously both good spatial resolution and good imaging depth with the pure optical imaging modalities. This work focuses on the ultrasound-modulated optical tomography - a hybrid technique which combines advantages of ultrasonic resolution and optical contrast. In this technique, focused ultrasound and optical radiation of high temporal co-herence are simultaneously applied to soft biological tissue, and the intensity of the ultrasound-modulated light is measured. This provides information about the optical properties of the tissue, spatially localized at the interaction region of the ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves. In experimental part of this work we present a novel implementation of high-resolution ultrasound-modulated optical tomography that, based on optical contrast, can image several millimeters deep into soft biological tissues. A long-cavity confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer was used to detect the ultrasound-modulated coherent light that traversed the scattering biological tissue. Using 15-MHz ultrasound, we imaged with high contrast light absorbing structures placed 3 mm below the surface of chicken breast tissue. The resolution along the axial and the lateral directions with respect to the ultrasound propagation direction was better than 70 and 120ùm, respectively. This technology is complementary to other imaging technologies, such as confocal microscopy and optical-coherence tomography, and has potential for broad biomedical applications. In the theoretical part we present various methods to model interaction be-tween the ultrasonic and electromagnetic waves in optically scattering media. We first extend the existing theoretical model based on the diffusing-wave spectroscopy approach to account for anisotropic optical scattering, Brownian motion, pulsed ul-trasound, and strong correlations between the ultrasound-induced optical phase in-crements. Based on the Bethe-Salpeter equation, we further develop a more general correlation transfer equation, and subsequently a correlation diffusion equation, for ultrasound-modulated multiply scattered light. We expect these equations to be applicable to a wide spectrum of conditions in the ultrasound-modulated optical tomography of soft biological tissues