Electro-Thermal Imaging of Breast Phantom: An Experimental Study

To increase the temperature contrast in thermal images, the characteristics of the electrical conductivity and thermal imaging modalities can be combined. In this experimental study, it is objected to observe whether the temperature contrast created by the tumor tissue can be improved just due to the current application within medical safety limits. Various thermal breast phantoms are developed to simulate the female breast tissue. In vitro experiments are implemented using a thermal infrared camera in a controlled manner. Since experiments are implemented in vitro, there is no metabolic heat generation and blood perfusion. Only the effects and results of the electrical stimulation are investigated. Experimental study is implemented with two-dimensional models. Temperature contrasts due to the tumor tissues are obtained. Cancerous tissue is determined using the difference and ratio of healthy and tumor images. 1 cm diameter single tumor tissue causes almost 40 °mC temperature contrast on the thermal-breast phantom. Electrode artifacts are reduced by taking the difference and ratio of background (healthy) and tumor images. Ratio of healthy and tumor images show that temperature contrast is increased by the current application

Predictions of the Electric Field Emissions around Power Transmission Lines by Using Artificial Neural Network Methods

In this study, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Algorithms are used to estimate the electric field that occurred around the power transmission lines as an alternative approach.  Firstly, electric field levels around the high voltage power transmission lines are measured, and then analytically calculated. Moreover, the field levels that occurred around these power lines have been predicted by using multilayer perceptron artificial neural network, radial basis function, and generalized regression neural network models. In the paper, 154 kV typical power transmission line used in Turkey are studied. Electric field levels occurred around the power transmission lines have been predicted with ANN models with high accuracy, particularly MLPNN algorithm predicted the electric field intensity with very high precision

Theoretical assessment of electro-thermal imaging: A new technique for medical diagnosis

Breast cancer is one of the most crucial cancer types. To improve the diagnosis performance, a hybrid system is proposed through simultaneous utilization of thermal and electrical impedance imaging methods. The innovation of the approach relies on the frequency dependence of the tissue's electrical impedance which facilitates the acquisition of multiple thermal images with currents at different frequencies injected to the region of the body under inspection. The applied current and the resulting heating at the body surface are distributed based on the frequency dependent conductivity distribution. The electrical currents increase the thermal contrast on the body surface depending on the electrical properties of the tissues at the operation frequency. The technique also provides frequency dependent conductivity distribution data through thermal imaging which can be used as a basis for the detection of the breast carcinoma. Based on our findings, the contrast resolution between the healthy and cancerous tissue is increased, improving the depth-dependent imaging performance from 3 mm to 9 mm for a 1.5 mm tumor. The sensitivity of the technique can be further increased by an infrared camera with dual band imaging capability. Consequently, the proposed approach has a potential to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of medical imaging over the standard thermography

Medical thermal imaging of electrically stimulated woman breast: A simulation study

Tissues have different electrical conductivity and metabolic energy consumption values depending on their state of health and species. Since metabolic heat generation values show differences from tissue to tissue, thermal imaging has started to play an important role in medical diagnoses. Temperature differences of healthy and cancerous tissue may be changed by means of frequency dependent current stimulation within medical safety limits, and thus, depth dependent imaging performance can be increased. In this study, a three-dimensional realistic model of a woman breast and malignant tissue is generated and frequency dependent feasibility work for the proposed method is implemented. Temperature distributions are obtained by solving Pennes Bio Heat Equation (using finite element method). Temporal and spatial temperature distribution images are obtained at desired depths for two cases; with and without current application. Different temperature distributions are imaged by altering the frequency of the applied current and the corresponding conductivity value. Improvement in the imaging performance can be provided by current stimulation, and the temperature difference generated by 40 mm 3 tumor at 1.5 cm depth can be detected on breast surface with the state-of-the-art thermal imagers