Development of microwave tomography for functional cardiac imaging

We are conducting a research study in development of microwave tomography for functional cardiac imaging. This includes the dielectric spectroscopy of myocardial tissue and imaging experiments. Our findings of dependencies of myocardial dielectric properties from coronary blood flow, ischemia, infarction and hypoxia set up a strong basis for microwave cardiac function imaging in terms of tissue differentiation. The developed three-dimensional (3D) microwave tomographic (MWT) system together with image reconstruction algorithms was used in imaging experiments on excised normal and infarcted canine hearts and intact canines and pigs. Reconstructed images of excised infarcted canine hearts clearly reveal infarcted areas consistent with anatomical slices. Experimental protocols for imaging of intact static canine and swine are underway. Reconstructed images of canine and pig torso were also obtained, indicating the chest cavity with the heart and ventricular chambers.