ELEE 6639 04I/05I

Microwave and Biomedical Imaging

Dr. Yong Zhou
Office: BSETB 1.326
Office phone: 882-6758
Email: Yong.Zhou@utrgv.edu

Fall 2020 Office Hours:

MW 11:00PM – 2:00PM
T 11:00AM – 1:00PM
R 12:00AM – 2:00PM (Appointment)
 Main Reference Books
• Rosenfeld & Kak, Digital Picture Processing, Vol. 1: ISBN-13: 978-0125973014,
ISBN-10: 0125973012, 2nd edition 1982
• Introduction to Biomedical Imaging, A. Webb, Wiley-lnterscience, Hoboken, NJ
(2003). John Wiley & Sons, eISBN:9781119485940, ISBN: 9780471237662,
ISBN-10: 0471237663, Pages:313
Recommended Reference Reading
• Introduction to Medical Imaging: Physics, Engineering and Clinical
Applications, Nadine B. Smith and Andrew Webb, Cambridge
University Press, 1st Ed. (2010).
• Principles of Medical Imaging, K.K. Shung, M.B. Smith, B. Tsui,
Academic Press, San Diego (1992).
• Handbook of Medical Imaging. Vol. 1, Physics and Psychophysics, J.
Beutel, H.L. Kundel, R.L. Van Metter (eds.), SPIE Press (2000).
• Diagnostic Ultrasound: Principles and Instruments, 5th Ed., F.W.
Kremkau, W.B. Saunders, Phildelphia (1998).
• MRI: The Basics, R.H. Hashemi, W.G. Bradley, Williams & Wilkins,
Baltimore (1997).
• Biomedical Image Processing, Thomas Martin Deserno, Springer
 Grading Criteria

Points
Attendance 10
Projects/Assignment 60
Midterm Exam 15
Final Exam 15

Grade Range
A 90-100
B 80-90
C 70-79
D 60-69
F < 60
 Course Prerequisites
q Differential Equations

Computer and Tools

q Smart phone with zoom app installed
q Desktop/labtop with internet & webcam
q MATLAB
MATLAB Access
• Online version:
https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab-online.html
• MATLAB is available online for UTRGV students:
https://www.utrgv.edu/it/software/matlab/index.htm
• It is available through vlabs. The instructions are here:
https://www.utrgv.edu/it/software/vlabs/index.htm
 Course Test/Exam Setup
q Use your smart phone with zoom app to cover your work
desk and the monitor screen
q Use desktop/labtop with internet to take the test/exam
 Course Topics
q Introduction to Biomedical and microwave Imaging
q Fourier Analysis, Properties of 2-D Fourier Transform
q Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) and iFFT
q Quantization & Quantization Error, Spread Functions
q Radar/Microwave Imaging
q Principle X-Ray Imaging
q Introduction to Computerized Tomography (CT)
q Fourier Slice Theorem
q Filtered Back-Projection
q CT Computer Implementation – Parallel Scan
q CT Fan Beam Reconstruction (optional topic)
q Algebraic Reconstruction (Kaczmarz Method)
q MRI Tomography
q Principles of Ultrasound Propagation & Reflection
q A-Scan, B-Scan, M-Scan Ultrasound Imaging
q Thermographic Imaging Principles (optional topic)
 Course Modality
q Course will be MATLAB project-based.
q For each course topic:

Introduction to its imaging

principles and theory behind

In class Example by MATLAB

Your Practice on the

Projects/Assignment by MATLAB
 Useful Study Tips
Ø Attend the lecture class discussion
Ø Take necessary notes
Ø Review in time every week
Ø Spend enough time on course projects

§ Class slides & video review

§ Assigned reading
§ Course projects
 Lecture 01
Introduction to Imaging Techniques

q X-Ray Imaging
q Microwave/Radar Imaging
q Computed Tomography (CT)
q Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
q Ultrasound Imaging
q Thermography
 Biomedical Imaging
q Non-invasive biomedical imaging involves the complex chain of acquiring,
processing, and visualizing structural or functional images of living objects
or systems, including extraction, reconstructing and processing of image-
related information.
q The term "non-invasive" is used to denote a procedure where no
instrument is introduced into a patient's body, which is the case for most
imaging techniques discussed in this course.

Original image
f(x,y)
f(x, y)
Image
Reconstruction
Algorithm

Signals out of
Non-invasive
device g(x,y)
imaging
device/sensor
(Physics)
 Biomedical Imaging
q Medical imaging is often perceived to designate the set of techniques that
non-invasively produce images of the internal aspect of the body.
q In this restricted sense, medical imaging can be seen as the solution of
mathematical inverse problems. This means that cause (the properties of
living tissue) is inferred from effect (the observed signal).
q In the case of medical ultrasound, the probe consists of ultrasonic
pressure waves and echoes that go inside the tissue to show the internal
structure.
q In the case of projectional radiography, the probe uses X-ray radiation,
which is absorbed at different rates by different tissue types such as bone,
muscle, and fat.
Photon Energy E = hn Wavelength l Freq. (n)
Light photon 2 – 40 eV 300nm < l < 800nm 4×1014 to 1×1015 Hz
X-ray photon 20 – 150 KeV 0.01nm < l < 10nm 3×1016 to 3×1019 Hz
Ultrasound 2 to 15 MHz

Photon energy E = hn (Plank constant h = 6.62607004×10-34 m2 kg/s)

Common Biomedical Imaging Technologies

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/biomedical-imaging

CT, computed tomography MRS, MR spectroscopy

EBCT, electron beam CT PET, positron emission tomography
fMRI, functional MRI SPECT, single photon emission CT
MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
 Frequency Spectrum
Microwave Oven (2.45GHz)

Where is Microwave, or RF?

• Radio Frequency Bandwidth : Between 9 KHz and 300 GHz

• Microwave Frequency Bandwidth : Between 30MHz and 300 GHz. 3
 Electromagnetic Spectrum

• The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all

possible electromagnetic radiation frequencies.

3
Common Biomedical Imaging Technologies

(a) X-Ray CT scan image (b) MRI machine (Magnetic

resonance imaging)
Common Biomedical Imaging Technologies

(c) PET scans use (d) Ultrasound technology is used to

radiopharmaceuticals to create monitor pregnancies because it is the least
images of active blood flow and invasive of imaging techniques and uses
physiologic activity of the organ or no electromagnetic radiation
organs being targeted
 Imaging: Ultrasound
§ Ultrasound is a wave with a frequency greater
than the upper limit of human hearing.

§ Frequency Range:

2M-5MHz

§ Non-Ionising Radiation
 Imaging: Visible Light

§ Frequency Range: 790-400THz

(~1014)
§ Non-Ionising Radiation
 Imaging: Ultraviolet Radiation

§ Ultraviolet Rays are electromagnetic radiation

produced by molecules interactions.

§ Frequency Range: ~1016 Hz

§ Ionising Radiation
 Imaging: X-Ray Radiation

§ X-rays are electromagnetic radiation, with

wavelength shorter in wavelength than UV rays.

§ Frequency Range: ~1015-18 Hz

§ Ionising Radiation
 Imaging: Gamma Radiation

§ Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation

produced by sub-atomic particle interactions,
such as electron-positron annihilation,
radioactive decay.
§ Frequency Range: ~1019-20 Hz

§ Ionising Radiation
 Microwave Imaging
q Microwave imaging is a technique aimed at
sensing a given scene by means of
microwaves from 300MHz to 300GHz to
localize, shape and reconstruct the unknown
target.

q This active technique has been proved

capable of providing excellent diagnostic
capabilities in the areas of nondestructive
detection, biomedical screening and
diagnosis, and geophysical subsurface
detection and imaging.
Human Tissue Microwave Properties

Tissue e' s(S/m)

Fat 4 - 4.5 0.11 - 0.14
Normal Tissue 10 – 25 0.35 - 1.05
Tumor (Benign) 10 – 50 1.0 - 4.0
Tumor (Malignant) 45 – 60 3.0 - 4.0

Dielectric Properties of Typical Human Tissues at f =2.5GHz

 Microwave Imaging: Biomedical
Diagnosis

*Conductivity of human breast tissue

(Red: malignant tissue Blue: normal tissue)

*Duke Microwave Imaging Laboratory

 Microwave Imaging: Biomedical
Diagnosis

*Permittivity of human breast tissue

(Red: malignant tissue Blue: normal tissue)
*Duke Microwave Imaging Laboratory
Microwave Imaging System

RF Switch (cm)
Or
RF-MEMS (mm)
 Microwave Imaging

Basic Microwave Images for Metallic and Non-metallic Objects

Microwave Imaging: Biomedical Diagnosis

§ Frequency Range: 1GHz-300GHz

§ Non-Ionising Radiation
 Microwave (Radar) Imaging

n Radar Imaging – Acquiring radar scattering data

from a scene/target and forming a 2D reflectivity map

Cross Acquired data Radar image

range
Down range
Processing

Frequency Down range

n Applications of radar imaging

• Remote sensing
• Geographical mapping
• Surveillance and target identification
 Radar Remote Sensing
n Remote Sensing – Forming a 2D or 3D reflectivity map of the
target or scene from the scattering data.

West Texas Mountain Area

 Subsurface Detection by
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
 Synthetic Aperture Imaging B
A
B
A

Stationary radar
Synthetic Aperture Radar
Inverse Synthetic Aperture
(SAR) system
Radar (ISAR) system

SAR image ISAR image 4

 Integral Transform
q In mathematics, an integral transform maps a function from its original
function space into another function space via integration, where some of
the properties of the original function might be more easily characterized
and manipulated than in the original function space.

q The transformed function can generally be mapped back to the original

function space using the inverse transform.

x
F ( x ) = ò f (t ) × K (t , x )dt
0

q There are numerous useful integral transforms, each is specified by a choice

of the function K of two variables (the kernel function, integral kernel or
nucleus of the transform):
Why Do We Need Domain Transform?

Relatively easy
Problem in solution
Solution in
Frequency Space Frequency Space

A detour
Inverse Fourier
Fourier
Transform
Transform

Difficult solution
Original Problem Solution of Original
Problem
Integral Transform
 Fourier Transform
• The Fourier transform plays a very significant role in medical imaging
and image analysis.
• The Fourier transform is a linear transform that provides information
about the frequency spectrum of the signal. The Fourier transformation
F(w) of a function of time f(t) is given by,
+¥
F (w ) = ò f (t )e -iwt dt
-¥
• It is used in image processing for image enhancement, restoration,
filtering, and feature extraction to help image interpretation and
characterization.
• It decomposes a function of time (a signal) into the frequencies that make
it up. It is also used in image reconstruction methods for medical imaging
systems. For example, the Fourier transform is used for image
reconstruction in MRI.
• Once image is transformed into frequency domain, degradation related to
noise and undesired frequencies can be filtered out. The information can
then be used to recover the restored image through inverse Fourier
transform.
Image Processing
 PRINCIPLES OF IMAGE PROCESSING
• An image is usually a function of two spatial variables,
e.g. f[x, y], which represents the brightness f at the
Cartesian location [x, y].
• It can also be defined as an array, or a matrix, of square
pixels (picture elements) arranged in columns and rows.
• After converting image information into an array of
integers, the image can be manipulated, processed, and
displayed by computer.
• Computer processing is used for image enhancement,
restoration, segmentation, description, recognition,
coding, reconstruction, transformation.
 NEED OF IMAGE PROCESSING IN MEDICINE

Main tasks performed by the image processing unit in medicine

include:
Ø Interfacing analog outputs of sensors such as microscopes, endoscopes,
ultrasound etc., to digitizers and in turn to Image Processing systems.
Ø Image enhancements.
Ø Changing density dynamic range of B/W images.
Ø Color correction and manipulating of colors within a color image.
Ø Contour detection and area calculations of the cells of a biomedical image.
Ø Restoration and smoothing of images.
Ø Registration of multiple images and creating mosaic of multiple images.
Ø Construction of 3-D images from 2-D images.
Ø Generation of negative images.
Ø Zooming of images.
Ø Removal of artifacts from the image.
 COMPONENTS OF IMAGE
PROCESSING
q Biomedical image processing covers biomedical signal
gathering, image forming, picture processing, and
image display to medical diagnosis based on features
extracted from images. Some basic image processing
techniques include outlining, de-blurring, noise
cleaning, filtering, search and texture analysis. Image
processing covers four main areas:

Ø Image formation.
Ø Visualization.
Ø Analysis of image.
Ø Management of the acquired information.
 COMPONENTS OF IMAGE
PROCESSING

q Image Analysis

Ø Image analysis includes all the steps of processing,

which are used for quantitative measurement as
well as interpretation of biomedical images.
Ø These steps require a prior knowledge of the nature
and content of the images, which is integrated into
the algorithm on a high level of abstraction.
Ø Thus the process of image analysis is very specific,
and developed algorithms can be transferred
directly to application domains.
 COMPONENTS OF IMAGE PROCESSING

Image acquisition
Formation
digitization
Enhancement

calibration registration

optimization transformation filtering

Surface reconstruction Feature extraction compression

illumination segmentation archiving

shading classification retrieval

display interpretation measurement communication

Visualization Analysis Management

 Image Formation

q It includes all the steps from capturing the image to

forming a digital image matrix.

Ø Image Acquisition
Ø Digitization
 Image Acquisition

q Image Database
q Imaging Devices:
Ø CT, X-Ray, MRI, untrasound, …

Physical property: Raw Data

Density, absorbance, Imaging Device
conductivity, …
 Image Preprocessing
q Enhancement A priori
q Filtering knowledge

Preprocessed,
q Registration cleaned,
Raw Data enhanced data
q Calibration Preprocessing

q Transformation
Examples:
Ø Noise suppression, contract enhancement, intensity
equalization, outlier elimination, bias compensation,
time/space filtering, …
 Image Enhancement
q The objective of image enhancement techniques
is to process an image so that the result is more
suitable than the original image for a specific
application.
 Image Enhancement

q Two broad categories:

a. Spatial domain methods:
Ø Point Processing
Ø Histogram Equalization
Ø Image Substraction

b. Frequency domain methods:

Ø Fourier Transform
 Image Filtering
q The objective of filtering is to remove noise.
q Techniques:
Ø Averaging Filter
Ø Median Filter
Ø Max/Min Filter Before After
Ø …
 Image Registration
q Medical image registration is to combine
images of the same patient taken at different
points in time such as change detection or
tumor monitoring.
q Example 1: Unimodal Registration
Ø Refers to the relative calibration of images that
have been acquired with the same modality.

Registration of two MRI

images of the brain from
the same patient
 Image Registration
Ø Example 2: Multi-Modal Registration

The images to be
compared are
captured with
different modalities.
 Image Transformation
q Image transformation can be simple arithmetic
operations on images or complex
mathematical operations which convert
images from one representation to another.
q The transformation is intended to select the
most prominent or relevant features:
Ø Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)
Ø Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT)
Ø Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT)
Image Transformation