Breast cancer detection and imaging by electromagnetic millimeter waves

Claim 2

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, in which, in step E, the scattered return signal of step D is processed to form a multidimensional image of a tumor.

Claim 3

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, in which, in step A, the preselected frequency has a wavelength, in a medium having a dielectric characteristic corresponding to that of non-tumor tissue, no greater than three times the circumference of the smallest tumor to be detected.

Claim 4

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, in which, in step A, the wavelength of the electromagnetic input wave, in a medium having a dielectric characteristic corresponding to that of non-tumor tissue, is in a range of one to thirty millimeters.

Claim 5

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, in which, in step B, illumination of the tissue is effected through a medium having a dielectric characteristic like that of the non-tumor tissue and different from that of a tumor.

Claim 6

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, including the following additional step: X. controlling the input wave of step B and the scattered return signal of step D to separate the scattered return signal from the input wave.

Claim 7

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 6, in which the separation of step X is effected by passive devices.

Claim 8

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 6, in which the separation of step X is effected by active devices.

Claim 9

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, 6, 7 or 8 in which, in step A, the preselected frequency is in a range of three to ninety gigahertz.

Claim 10

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 9, in which polarization of scattered returns are utilized to enhance the reliability of detecting the presence of a tumor.

Claim 11

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 9, in which tumor-induced resonant anomalies in the scattered returns are utilized to enhance the reliability of detecting the presence of a tumor.

Claim 12

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 9, in which tumor-induced anomalies in the direction of scatter, such as back scatter, forward scatter, or side scatter, are utilized to enhance the reliability of detecting the presence of a tumor.

Claim 13

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, including the following additional steps: B'. after step C, focusing the illuminating wave at a second predetermined illumination position at a level within the tissue different from the level of the first position; and C'. moving the illumination location of step B' over the preselected portion of the tissue in the predetermined scanning pattern, thereby scanning the tissue in a three-dimensional pattern.

Claim 14

A non-invasive system utilizing non-ionizing electromagnetic millimeter waves of minimal thermal heating capacity for detection of a tumor in a breast, comprising: a generator for generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave having a frequency in excess of three gigahertz; illumination means for focusing and directing an electromagnetic wave to impinge upon an effective focal point at a predetermined position within a breast; wave impedance matching means, in the illumination means, matching the impedance of the illumination means to the wave impedance of normal breast tissue; a wave guide for applying the input wave from the generator to the breast through the illumination means; focal point positioner means, connected to the illumination means, for moving the focal point across the breast in a predetermined pattern to scan selected incremental volumes within the breast; a scattered wave collector positioned to intercept scattered waves from the incremental volumes within the breast and develop a return signal representative of the scattered waves from within the breast; and a receiver, including a detector, connected to the scattered wave collector, for detecting anomalies in the return signal to identify a tumor and its location in the breast.

Claim 15

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 14 and further comprising: separator means, connected to the scattered wave collector, for separating the scattered wave signals from the input wave in developing the return signal.

Claim 16

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 14, in which: the reflection receiver is a part of the illumination means; and further comprising separator means, connected to the scattered wave collector, for separating the scattered wave signals from the input wave in developing the return signal.

Claim 17

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 14 in which: the illumination means comprises a globular antenna filled with a first dielectric medium; the illumination means further comprises a connecting device, connecting the antenna to the breast, filled with a second dielectric medium; and the dielectric constants of the breast, the first dielectric medium, and the second dielectric medium are all approximately equal to each other.

Claim 18

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 17 in which the globular antenna is of truncated ellipsoidal configuration and functions as a part of the transmitter and a part of the collector.

Claim 19

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 14 in which the focal point positioner means includes a mechanical scanner to change the location of the illuminator means relative to the breast.

Claim 20

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 19 and further comprising: focal point indication means, connected to the mechanical scanner; and imaging means, connected to the receiver and to the focal point indication means for displaying an image of the breast including a representation of any tumor therein.

Claim 21

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 14 and further comprising a connection from the generator to the receiver, for applying a portion of the input wave to the receiver to provide a frequency and phase reference receiver.

Claim 22

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 21 in which the receiver includes two detectors operated in phase quadrature to each other.

Claim 23

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 22 in which the connection from the generator to the receiver includes a phase shift circuit for shifting the input wave, as applied to one of the detectors, by an add multiple of 90° relative to the input wave as supplied to the other detector.

Claim 24

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 23 in which each of the detectors is a hybrid tee.

Claim 25

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 14 in which the receiver includes both an amplitude detector and a phase detector, whereby both amplitude and phase of the return signal are used to identify an anomalous return signifying a possible tumor.

Claim 26

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 15 in which the separator means includes a circulator.

Claim 27

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 15 in which the separator means includes polarization-responsive means for separating the input wave from the return signal based on polarization of the return signal.

Claim 28

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 15 in which: the separator means includes a pulse source of repetitive pulse signals; and the system further comprises display means, connected to the pulse source of the separator means and to the receiver, for displaying the returns as a function of time; the rise time for each pulse signal being no greater than 300 pico-seconds.

Claim 29

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 15 in which the pulse source is a part of a frequency-modulated pulse compression system that employs a frequency bandwidth of at least three gigahertz.

Claim 30

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 15 and further comprising compensation means for compensating for change in the dielectric constant of the breast as a function of frequency.

Claim 31

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast according to Claim 14 in which the distance from the effective focal point to the effective aperture of the illuminator is no greater than four times the diameter of the effective aperture.

Claim 32

An illumination means for a non-invasive system for the detection of a tumor in the breast according to Claim 14 comprising: an array of independently excitable and movable wave guides; means to controllably and independently position the open end of each of the wave guides to contact the surface of the breast with little or no space between the open end of the guide and the breast; means to note the position of each of the contact points between the open ends of the wave guide and the surface of the breast; means to control the phase angle of the input wave presented at the contact points in accordance with the position of the contact point; and means to change the phase angle of the input wave at the contact point such that the individual waves that propagate from each of the wave guides add constructively to form an effective focal point within a predetermined incremental volume within the breast.

Claim 33

An illumination means for a non-invasive system for the detection of a tumor in the breast according to Claim 32, wherein each of the wave guides is filled with a material whose dielectric properties are similar to those of the human breast.

Claim 34

An illumination means for a non-invasive system for detection of a breast tumor according to Claim 33 in which the material filling the wave guides has a relative dielectric constant in a range of four to twenty.

Claim 35

An illumination means for a non-invasive system for detection of a breast tumor according to Claim 34 and further comprising: an interface, between the breast and the wave guides, having a relative dielectric constant in a range of four to twenty.

Claim 36

An illumination means for a non-invasive system for detection of a breast tumor according to Claim 34 and further comprising means to move the array of wave guides and the interface mechanically to scan the breast.

Claim 37

A non-invasive system utilizing non-ionizing electromagnetic millimeter waves of minimal thermal heating capacity for detection of a tumor in a breast, comprising: a generator for generating a non-ionizing electromagnetic input wave having a frequency in excess of three gigahertz; illumination means for directing an electromagnetic wave into a volume that contains a predetermined effective focal point within a breast; wave impedance matching means, in the illumination means, matching the impedance of the illumination means to the wave impedance of normal breast tissue; a wave guide for applying the input wave from the generator to the breast through the illumination means; focal point positioner means, connected to the illumination means, for moving the focal point across the breast in a predetermined pattern to scan selected incremental volumes within the breast; scattered wave collector means for collecting scattered waves from the predetermined effective focal point and developing a return signal representative of scattered waves from within the breast; and a receiver, including a detector, connected to the scattered wave collector means, for detecting anomalies in the return signal to identify a tumor and its location in the breast.

Claim 38

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 3, in which the dielectric characteristic of the medium is a relative dielectric constant in a range of four to twenty.

Claim 39

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast, according to Claim 14 or 37, in which the generator further generates a synchronizing signal and supplies that synchronizing signal to the receiver.

Claim 40

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast, according to Claim 14, comprising at least two scattered wave collectors, disposed on opposite sides of the breast.

Claim 41

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast, according to Claim 17 or 37, in which the dielectric constants are in a range of four to twenty.

Claim 42

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast, according to Claim 22 in which the receiver includes a directional coupler.

Claim 43

A non-invasive system for detection of a tumor in a breast, according to Claim 15, in which a synthetic time-domain response is developed from the Fourier inversion of the complex input impedance data as the frequency of the illumination signal is progressively changed over a bandwidth of at least two gigahertz.

Claim 44

A non-invasive system for the detection of a tumor, according to Claim 43, and further comprising means to compensate for the changes in the equipment behavoir as a function of frequency.

Claim 45

A non-invasive system for the detection of a tumor, according to Claim 43, and further comprising means to compensate for the path loss attenuation as the illuminating signal progresses into the breast.

Claim 46

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, in which, in step E, the scattered return signals of step D taken at one time are compared with the scattered return signals of step D taken at a different time.

Claim 47

A method of detecting a tumor in the tissue of a living organism, according to Claim 1, in which, in step E, the scattered return signals of step D taken from one breast are compared with the scattered return signals of step D taken from the opposite breast.

Claim 48

A non-invasive system utilizing non-ionizing electromagnetic millimeter waves of minimal thermal heating capacity for detection of a tumor in a breast, comprising illumination means and collection means, particularly according.to Claim 14, characterized by use of a flowable dielectric between the illumination means and the collection means.