Real-time microwave imaging of differential temperature for thermal therapy monitoring.

A microwave imaging system for real-time 3-D imaging of differential temperature has been developed for the monitoring and feedback of thermal therapy systems. Design parameters are constrained by features of a prototype-focused microwave thermal therapy system for the breast, operating at 915 MHz. Real-time imaging is accomplished with a precomputed linear inverse scattering solution combined with continuous vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements of a 36-antenna, HFSS-modeled, cylindrical cavity. Volumetric images of differential change of dielectric constant due to temperature are formed with a refresh rate as fast as 1 frame/s and 1 (°)C resolution. Procedures for data segmentation and postprocessed S-parameter error-correction are developed. Antenna pair VNA calibration is accelerated by using the cavity as the unknown thru standard. The device is tested on water targets and a simple breast phantom. Differentially heated targets are successfully imaged in cluttered environments. The rate of change of scattering contrast magnitude correlates 1:1 with target temperature.