Microwave imaging using a radially-polarized probe
AssigneeThe Curators of the University of Missouri
InventorsMatthew Dvorsky, Mohammed Tayeb Al Qaseer, Reza Zoughi
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Abstract
A microwave and millimeter wave imaging system. In either a far-field or a near-field detection mode, a radially-polarized probe transmits an imaging signal along a predetermined scan path to detect a target in a sample. The imaging signal's orientation is independent of the target's orientation and changes at each target as the probe transmits the signal during scanning. A measurement system receives scattered waves reflected from the sample via a single channel and images the sample and the target based on the reflected waves independent of the orientation of the target.
Claims20
A microwave and millimeter wave imaging system for detecting a target in a sample, the system comprising:
- a signal source generating an imaging signal, the imaging signal having a frequency at a microwave frequency or a millimeter wave frequency;
- a radially-polarized probe coupled to the signal source and configured to transmit the imaging signal incident to a sample and receive a reflected signal therefrom for imaging the sample, wherein the probe transmits the imaging signal having a radially-polarized pattern and wherein the radially-polarized pattern of the transmitted imaging signal has an orientation independent of an orientation of a target in the sample;
- and
- a measurement system coupled to the probe and configured to receive the reflected signal from the probe via a single channel and generate an image of the sample based on the reflected signal, wherein the measurement system detects the target in the image independent of the target orientation.
A method of using a microwave and millimeter wave imaging system to detect a target in a sample, the method comprising:
- at a standoff distance from a sample, transmitting an imaging signal from a radially-polarized probe along a predetermined scan path relative to the sample, the imaging signal transmitted by the radially-polarized probe having a frequency at a microwave frequency or a millimeter wave frequency and a radially-polarized pattern such that the polarization orientation of the transmitted imaging signal incident at each target in the sample changes during scanning as the probe moves along the scan path and transmits the imaging signal;
- receiving, by a measurement system coupled to the radially-polarized probe, scattered waves reflected from the sample during scanning;
- generating, by the measurement system, an image of the sample including the target based on the reflected waves;
- and
- detecting the target in the image of the sample, the target being detected in the image independent of the orientation of the target.
An imaging system comprising:
- a radially-polarized probe configured to transmit an imaging signal incident to a sample and receive reflected waves scattered by the sample, the imaging signal having a frequency in a range from about 300 MHz to about 300 GHz, the probe radially polarizing the transmitted imaging signal such that the imaging signal incident to the sample has a radially-polarized pattern independent of an orientation of a target in the sample;
- and
- a measurement system coupled to the probe and configured to receive the reflected waves from the probe via a single channel and generate an image of the sample based thereon, wherein the image of the sample indicates a detected target in the image independent of the orientation of the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.