Authors: Dr. Carey Rappaport
Source: FERMAT, Volume 27, Communication 1, May-June, 2018
Abstract: Because of their ability to penetrate and heat, electromagnetic waves have found use in several unusual applications, specifically in interaction with biological tissue. Microwave radar has been used as an anatomic imaging modality for detecting breast cancer, and THz radiation is being proposed for vulnerable plaque identification. Using a simple conformal antenna, microwave sensing of trees can alert arborists if there is an otherwise undetectable infestation of Asian Long-Horned beetle. By depositing microwave power at depth, cancerous or otherwise diseased tissue can be non-invasively heated and inactivated or ablated while sparing healthy surrounding tissue. This survey presentation will touch on a variety of life science electromagnetic applications, discussing feasibility, advantages, efficacy, and limitations of the proposed approaches.
Index Terms: Biomedical engineering, microwave imaging, microwave treatment, ablation, hyperthermia, subsurface sensing
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EM Sensing & Treatment of Living Things: Using Microwaves to Detect & Treat Disease in Humans & Trees