A multiport vector network analyzer with high-precision and realtime capabilities for brain imaging and stroke detection

Abstract

Medical imaging is of great importance for patients affected by stroke. Since an early examination of the patient is necessary for successful recovery, there is room to improve the existing capabilities of analysis. Common systems like magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography are precise, but stationary, and therefore, not ideally suited for the early analysis of stroke. The presented multiport vector network analyzer system uses electromagnetic tomography (EMT) as an alternative imaging technique. It consists of a network of distributed electronic sensor nodes which improve important parameters: the parallel measurement setup reduces the measurement time as low as 160 ms for a 200-port S-parameter matrix and it is capable of measuring signal levels down to − 150 dBm. The electronics allow a compact, movable packaging, leading the way for future portable devices. The detection of stroke models was examined by test measurements of a phantom. The data was analyzed by the help of an inverse reconstruction algorithm. The possibility of building portable setups which can be even applied to patients inside an ambulance, makes EMT a suitable alternative for early stroke detection. It can help in shortening the recovery of patients, by providing an early analysis of the brain.

A scoping review of pre-hospital technology to assist ambulance personnel with patient diagnosis or stratification during the emergency assessment of suspected stroke

“…Evidence of diagnostic accuracy is promising and a new study is ongoing [83,84]. Similar technologies exist but at an earlier stage of development without pre-hospital data reported [85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93] including magnetic particle imaging [94] ultrasonography [95][96][97][98][99][100][101] and accelerometery [102,103].…”

A Scoping Review of Pre-hospital Technology to Assist Ambulance Personnel with Patient Diagnosis or Stratification during the Emergency Assessment of Suspected Stroke

“…[82,83]. Similar technologies exist but at an earlier stage of development without pre-hospital data reported [84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92] including magnetic particle imaging [93] ultrasonography [94][95][96][97][98][99][100] and accelerometery [101,102].…”

Noninvasive and portable stroke type discrimination and progress monitoring based on a multichannel microwave transmitting–receiving system

“…The microwave technology has been applied to brain function monitoring after several decades of development 12 and has the potential to detect stroke type for the prehospital diagnosis by microwave image and microwave scattering parameters in a noncontact manner. The research activities of stroke microwave imaging focus on two directions, i.e., the design and the realization of imaging system 13 – 16 and the development of inversion procedures for the dielectric imaging 17 – 21 . However, in contrast to the breast cancer detection 22 , 23 , the detected image quality of the brain is limited by the cerebral complex structure.…”