Reducing Non-Through Body Energy Transfer in Microwave Imaging Systems.

On-body antennas for use in microwave imaging (MI) systems can direct energy around the body instead of through the body, thus degrading the overall signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the system. This work introduces and quantifies the usage of modern metal-backed RF absorbing foam in conjunction with on-body antennas to dampen energy flowing around the body, using both simulations and experiments. A head imaging system is demonstrated herein but the principle can be applied to any part of the body including the torso or extremities. A computational model was simulated numerically using Ansys HFSS. A physical prototype in the form of a helmet with embedded antennas was built to compare simulations with measured data. Simulations and measurements demonstrate that usage of such metal-backed RF-absorbing foams can significantly reduce around-body coupling from Transmit (Tx) and Receive (Rx) antennas by approximately 10dB. Thus, the overall SNR of the MI system can be substantially improved using this low-cost and affordable method.

Miniaturized Dual Antiphase Patch Antenna Radiating into the Human Body at 2.4 GHz.

An on-body antenna, comprised of two closely-spaced antiphase patch elements, for microwave imaging may provide enhanced signal penetration into the tissue. By further integrating a 180-degree on-chip power combiner with the dual antiphase patch antenna element, a low-profile miniaturized antenna, integrated into a single 18.5 mm x 10 mm x 1.6 mm circuit board assembly, is designed and evaluated both numerically and experimentally. This is the smallest on-body antenna known to the authors for the given frequency band. This linearly polarized antenna may potentially serve as a building block of a dense antenna array for prospective high-resolution microwave imaging. A 2.4 GHz band was chosen as the design target. The final antenna size was a compromise between the miniaturization, the SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio), and the targeted antenna bandwidth (2.3-2.5 GHz). The effect of surface waves (the secondary radiating components) was also factored in the design consideration, while maximizing the detected signals' SNR.

Multi-stage optical FDM of 12-channel 10-Gb/s data with 20-GHz exact channel spacing using fiber cross-phase modulation with optical subcarrier signals.

A sequential optical frequency-division multiplexing technique using cross-phase modulation in fibers with exactly frequency-controlled optical subcarrier signals is proposed and demonstrated. 12 channels of 10-Gb/s ASK/DPSK signals with 20-GHz exact channel spacing are successfully multiplexed all-optically at 12 stages with 1-km intervals.

Dual-quadrature coherent receiver for 100G Ethernet applications based on polymer planar lightwave circuit.

A dual-quadrature coherent receiver based on a polymer planar lightwave circuit (PLC) is presented. This receiver comprises two separate optical 90°-hybrid chips made of polymer waveguides and hybridly integrated with InGaAs/InP photodiode (PD) arrays. The packaged receiver was successfully operated in 112 Gbit/s dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) transmission experiments. In back-to-back configuration the OSNR requirement for a BER value of 10(-3) was 15.1 dB which has to be compared to a theoretical limit of 13.8 dB.

110 km transmission of 160 Gbit/s RZ-DQPSK signals by midspan polarization-insensitive optical phase conjugation in a Ti:PPLN waveguide.

We demonstrate 160 Gbit/s return-to-zero (RZ) differential quarternary phase-shift keying (DQPSK) signal transmission over a 110 km single-mode fiber by taking advantage of mid-span optical phase conjugation (OPC). The technique is based on nonlinear wavelength conversion by cascaded second harmonic and difference frequency generation in a Ti:PPLN waveguide. Error-free operation with a negligible optical signal-to-noise ratio penalty for the signal after the OPC transmission without and with polarization scrambling was achieved. The results also show the polarization insensitivity of the OPC system using a polarization diversity scheme.

Helmholtz-pair transmit coil with integrated receive array for high-resolution MRI of trabecular bone in the distal tibia at 7T.

A Helmholtz-pair local transmit RF coil with an integrated four-element receive array RF coil and foot immobilization platform was designed and constructed for imaging the distal tibia in a whole-body 7T MRI scanner. Simulations and measurements of the B(1) field distribution of the transmit coil are described, along with SAR considerations for operation at 7T. Results of imaging the trabecular bone of three volunteers at 1.5T, 3T and 7T are presented, using identical 1.5T and 3T versions of the 7T four-element receive array. The spatially registered images reveal improved visibility for individual trabeculae and show average gains in SNR of 2.8× and 4.9× for imaging at 7T compared to 3T and 1.5T, respectively. The results thus display an approximately linear dependence of SNR with field strength and enable the practical utility of 7T scanners for micro-MRI of trabecular bone.

Corticothalamic modulation during absence seizures in rats: a functional MRI assessment.

PURPOSE: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to identify areas of brain activation during absence seizures in an awake animal model. METHODS: Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI in the brain was measured by using T2*-weighted echo planar imaging at 4.7 Tesla. BOLD imaging was performed before, during, and after absence seizure induction by using gamma-butyrolactone (GBL; 200 mg/kg, intraperitoneal). RESULTS: The corticothalamic circuitry, critical for spike-wave discharge (SWD) formation in absence seizure, showed robust BOLD signal changes after GBL administration, consistent with EEG recordings in the same animals. Predominantly positive BOLD changes occurred in the thalamus. Sensory and parietal cortices showed mixed positive and negative BOLD changes, whereas temporal and motor cortices showed only negative BOLD changes. CONCLUSIONS: With the BOLD fMRI technique, we demonstrated signal changes in brain areas that have been shown, with electrophysiology experiments, to be important for generating and maintaining the SWDs that characterize absence seizures. These results corroborate previous findings from lesion and electrophysiological experiments and show the technical feasibility of noninvasively imaging absence seizures in fully conscious rodents.

Activation of neural pathways associated with sexual arousal in non-human primates.

PURPOSE: To evaluate brain activity associated with sexual arousal, fully conscious male marmoset monkeys were imaged during presentation of odors that naturally elicit high levels of sexual activity and sexual motivation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Male monkeys were lightly anesthetized, secured in a head and body restrainer with a built-in birdcage resonator and positioned in a 9.4-Tesla spectrometer. When fully conscious, monkeys were presented with the odors of a novel receptive female or an ovariectomized monkey. Both odors were presented during an imaging trial and the presentation of odors was counterbalanced. Significant changes in both positive and negative BOLD signal were mapped and averaged. RESULTS: Periovulatory odors significantly increased positive BOLD signal in several cortical areas: the striatum, hippocampus, septum, periaqueductal gray, and cerebellum, in comparison with odors from ovariectomized monkeys. Conversely, negative BOLD signal was significantly increased in the temporal cortex, cingulate cortex, putamen, hippocampus, substantia nigra, medial preoptic area, and cerebellum with presentation of odors from ovariectomized marmosets as compared to periovulatory odors. A common neural circuit comprising the temporal and cingulate cortices, putamen, hippocampus, medial preoptic area, and cerebellum shared both the positive BOLD response to periovulatory odors and the negative BOLD response to odors of ovariectomized females. CONCLUSION: These data suggest the odor-driven enhancement and suppression of sexual arousal affect neuronal activity in many of the same general brain areas. These areas included not only those associated with sexual activity, but also areas involved in emotional processing and reward.