First assessment of thermoacoustic tomography for in vivo detection of rheumatoid arthritis in the finger joints

Abstract

Background: The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is complicated because of the complexity of symptoms and joint structures. Current clinical imaging techniques for the diagnosis of RA have strengths and weaknesses. Emerging imaging techniques need to be developed for the diagnosis or auxiliary diagnosis of RA.Purpose: This study aimed to demonstrate the potential of thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) for in vivo detection of RA in the finger joints. Methods: Finger joints were imaged by a TAT system using three different microwave illumination methods including pyramidal horn antenna, and parallel in-phase and anti-phase microwave illuminations. Both diseased and healthy joints were imaged and compared when the three microwave illumination methods were used. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of all the joints was performed to validate the TAT findings. In addition, two diseased joints were imaged at two time points by the pyramidal horn antenna-based TAT to track/monitor the progression of RA during a time period of 16 months. Three-dimensional (3-D) TAT images of the joints were also obtained. Results:The TAT images of the diseased joints displayed abnormalities in bone and soft tissues compared to the healthy ones. The TAT images by pyramidal horn antenna and in-phase microwave illumination showed high similarity in image appearance, while the anti-phase-based TAT images provided different information about the disease. We found that the TAT findings matched well with the MRI images. The 3-D TAT images effectively displayed the stereoscopic effect of joint lesions. Finally, it was evident that TAT could detect the development of the lesions in 16 months. Conclusion: TAT can noninvasively visualize bone lesions and soft tissue abnormalities in the joints with RA. This first in vivo assessment of TAT provides a foundation for its clinical application to the diagnosis and monitoring of RA in the finger joints.

Microwave-induced thermoacoustic imaging for biomedical applications

“…The amount and spatial distribution of the charge carried by the chemical components in the lesion tissue may have changed when the joint site (such as arthritis) occurs. The dielectric properties of the tissues may also have changed from a macroscopic perspective [99]. This provides a theoretical basis for the application of MTAI in the examination of finger and joint diseases.…”

“…Based on studies of normal finger joints, this team performed MTAI experiments on diseased finger joints, where rheumatoid arthritis was studied as a pathological model, to further evaluate the ability of MTAI in joint imaging and joint disease detection that provides a promising clinical perspective for MTAI finger joint imaging technology. In this study, to further improve the uniformity of microwave field in joint tissue and enhance the ability to detect flexor and extensor tendons, they proposed a novel MTAI system based on inverting microwave irradiation [99]. Figure 7(a) is the schematic diagram of the imaging system.…”

Improving the Efficiency of Oncological Diagnosis of the Breast Based on the Combined Use of Simulation Modeling and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms

“…The microwave radiometry has certain advantages for rapid mass diagnostics in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [21], mammographic screening [34], ultrasound [35], thermoacoustic tomography [38].…”

“…Microwave radiometry has certain advantages for rapid mass diagnostics in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [21], mammographic screening [34], ultrasound [35], or thermoacoustic tomography [36]. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) of the breast provides new opportunities for further development of ultrasound diagnostics to determine the biomechanical properties of tissues [37].…”

Biomedical microwave-induced thermoacoustic imaging

“…由于微波的低散射特性, 通过微波到超声能量传递 形式的变换, 微波热声成像技术可实现生物组织无 损、数厘米深度、百微米分辨率的成像 [14] , 在无损 脑结构成像 [15] 、乳腺肿瘤筛查 [16] 、人体关节炎成 像 [17] 、肝脂肪含量检测等方面展现出广阔的医学 应用前景, 有望成为新物理原理的医学影像方法. 微波与生物组织的相互作用机制与生物组织 的介电特性紧密相关 [18] .…”