Pioneering Research into Microwave Imaging for Medical Diagnostics Studied at RIT

A biomedical imaging technique using microwave technology, under development in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology, offers promise for enhanced early detection of tumors and soft-tissue diseases.

The technique uses high frequency, ultra-wideband electromagnetic energy pulses to scatter electromagnetic waves and permit the analysis of multiple layers of tissue composition. Differentiation between healthy and diseased tissue, depicted in images and data, may enhance medical diagnostics and patient assessment, according to Jayanti Venkataraman, RIT professor of electrical engineering and lead researcher.

The use of microwave frequencies promises to improve the content of 3-D images, Venkataraman says. Other commonly used medical diagnostics methods, such as magnetic resonance images, ultrasound images, computer-aided tomography (or “CAT”) scans and X-rays, have limitations, she says. For example, MRIs are expensive, nonportable and uncomfortable for patients. X-rays"".ord($0).";"ffective in detecting the size and shape of tumors—and ultrasounds do not effectively depict organ and tissue composition, she says.

The technique being developed at RIT will complement existing imaging techniques leading to greater accuracy in medical diagnoses, Venkataraman predicts. For example, using the RIT method, comparisons of quantitative results at various stages may indicate changes in tissue composition resulting from medical treatment or disease progression.

In addition, patient discomfort levels can be minimized with the new, noninvasive technique, particularly compared to MRIs and biopsies, Venkataraman says. The new method—using a small, low-power, portable device with flexible antennas attached to the body—is anticipated to be easier to use and more cost effective than MRIs and X-rays, she says.

Microwave imaging technology for medical applications has previously not been utilized to its full potential, Venkataraman says.

“We anticipate this technique will lead to improved patient care through early and better diagnoses of tumors and soft-tissue diseases,” Venkataraman says. “Since the use of microwaves for medical imaging has previously been limited, this technique should complement, and in some ways exceed, existing technologies such as MRIs and X-Rays.”

The RIT research involves a multidisciplinary team of faculty and students in electromagnetics and microwaves, image and signal processing, and biomedical engineering. In addition to Venkataraman, others involved are RIT electrical engineering faculty members Sohail Dianat, Daniel Phillips and Eli Saber; microsystems engineering Ph.D. students Marie Yvanoff and Raunakjeet Mann; and four other graduate students.

Partnerships with biomedical companies are possible, and grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health are being sought, Venkataraman says.

Note: RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering is among the nation's top-ranked engineering colleges. The college offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in applied statistics, engineering science, and computer, electrical, industrial and systems, mechanical, and microelectronic engineering and a doctoral degree in microsystems engineering. RIT was the first university to offer undergraduate degrees in microelectronic and software engineering.

Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls 15,300 students in more than 340 undergraduate and graduate programs. RIT has one of the nation's oldest and largest cooperative education programs.