UWB-Modulated Microwave Imaging for Human Brain Functional Monitoring

Abstract

Morphological microwave imaging has shown interesting results on reconstructing biological objects inside the human body, and these parameters represent their actual biological condition, but not their biological activity. In this paper, we propose a novel microwave technique to locate the low-frequency (f≃1 kHz) -modulated signals produced by a microtag mimicking an action potential and proved it in a cylindrical phantom of the brain region. A set of two combined UWB microwave applicators, operating in the 0.5 to 2.5 GHz frequency band and producing a nsec interrogation pulse, is able to focus its radiated field into a small region of the brain containing the microtag with a modulated photodiode. The illuminating UWB microwave field was first modulated by the low-frequency (f≃1 kHz) electrical signal produced by the photodiode, inducing modulated microwave currents into the microtag that reradiating back towards the focusing applicators. At the receiving end, the low-frequency (f≃1 kHz) -modulated signal was first extracted from the full set of the backscattered signals, then focused into the region of interest and spatially represented in the corresponding region of the brain, resulting in a spatial resolution of the images in the order of 10 mm.

Exploring the Interface of Microwave Technology, Quantum Computing and Neuroscience

“…Specifically, this method was tested in a phantom model of the brain to simulate the action potential signals commonly associated with neural activity. This approach is promising for the non-invasive monitoring of brain function, potentially aiding in the diagnosis and understanding of neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease (Akazzim, Y., 2023).…”