Systems and methods for use and measurement of non-thermal effects of microwave radiation
AssigneeUniversity of Guelph
InventorsKhashayar Ghandi, Pooya Afaghi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Microwave systems and new applications of microwave in medical, chemical and materials manufacturing and processing, food and health industries as well as in analytical chemistry instrumentation for in situ study of microwave effects are provided. In the case of medical applications, the microwave based damage is conducted in a way to diminish ablating or damaging the collateral tissue and to increase the probability of procedure achievement.
Claims21
A method of controlling the temperature of a target material while subjecting the material to microwave irradiation, comprising:
- measuring the temperature of the target and its surroundings;
- applying a variable length microwave pulse to the target;
- and means of transporting the microwave radiation that allows microwave field at the target in which the microwave has either its maximum electric field intensity over the area of the target with least magnetic field intensity over the same area or its maximum magnetic field intensity over the area of the target with least electric field intensity over the area;
- actively cooling the target;
- and
- adjusting the variable length microwave pulse, pulse sequence, pulse shapes, and using phase encoding and the active cooling of the target and its surrounding dependent on the measured temperature to achieve a desired temperature.
A non-thermal microwave device, comprising:
- a variable pulse width microwave source operable to provide a variable width microwave pulse, with added possibility of setting the pulse sequence, pulse shapes, and phase encoding, to a target;
- a microwave transport system that allows microwave field at the target in which the microwave has either its maximum electric field intensity over the area of the target with least magnetic field intensity over the same area or its maximum magnetic field intensity over the area of the target with least electric field intensity over the area;
- a temperature monitoring probe operable to measure the temperature of a target and its surrounding;
- a transport system for flow of additional material to the target or its surroundings;
- a cooling system operable to control the temperature of the target;
- and
- an electronic control circuit operable to adjust pulses properties and the cooling system to maintain a temperature measured by the temperature monitoring probes, the flow of additional materials, and the safety systems such as interlocks.
A pulsed microwave tool comprising:
- one or a set of temperature probes for real-time, and in situ or indirect measurements of a temperature of a target and its surrounding;
- a cooling system for cooling the target and its surrounding;
- a microwave generator operable to generate a variable pulse width microwave with appropriate variable pulse timings and sequences in response to the temperature of the target and its surrounding;
- a microwave wave guide, antenna or a set of microwave antennas in the middle of the tool;
- a cylindrical cooling jacket at the top with inlet and outlet to circulate cooling liquid in order to control the temperature of the target and cool down material adjacent the target;
- and
- means for transport of ionizing irradiation and probe lights.
A method of measuring the effects of microwave radiation on a target that could provide the feedback to control microwave pulses applied for different applications such as but not limited to radiation therapy, surface modification of material, in situ, comprising:
- measuring the temperature of the target;
- applying a variable length microwave pulse to the target;
- actively cooling the target;
- adjusting the variable length microwave pulse, pulse sequence, pulse shapes, and using phase encoding and the active cooling of the target dependent on the measured temperature to achieve a desired temperature profile;
- and when the temperature and temperature profile of the target with microwave on pulse and microwave off between the two microwave pulses are the same within a set threshold;
- adjusting the timing circuit for the case of a pulsed probe to positive or negative time delays with respect to microwave pulse;
- recording at least one observed characteristic of the target immediately after applying the variable length microwave pules in one channel;
- recording at least one observed characteristic of the target during the application of the variable length microwave pulse in another channel;
- and
- provide a pump probe time resolved data in the case of pulsed probe with adjusted time delays.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.