Reflective measurement of water concentration using millimeter wave illumination

Shijun Sung; David Bennett; Zachary Taylor; Neha Bajwa; Priyamvada Tewari; Ashkan Maccabi; Martin Culjat; Rahul Singh; Warren Grundfest

doi:10.1117/12.883257

18 April 2011 Reflective measurement of water concentration using millimeter wave illumination

Shijun Sung, David Bennett, Zachary Taylor, Neha Bajwa, Priyamvada Tewari, Ashkan Maccabi, Martin Culjat, Rahul Singh, Warren Grundfest

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7984, Health Monitoring of Structural and Biological Systems 2011; 798434 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.883257
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

THz and millimeter wave technology have shown the potential to become a valuable medical imaging tool because of its sensitivity to water and safe, non-ionizing photon energy. Using the high dielectric constant of water in these frequency bands, reflectionmode THz sensing systems can be employed to measure water content in a target with high sensitivity. This phenomenology may lead to the development of clinical systems to measure the hydration state of biological targets. Such measurements may be useful in fast and convenient diagnosis of conditions whose symptoms can be characterized by changes in water concentration such as skin burns, dehydration, or chemical exposure. To explore millimeter wave sensitivity to hydration, a reflectometry system is constructed to make water concentration measurements at 100 GHz, and the minimum detectable water concentration difference is measured. This system employs a 100 GHz Gunn diode source and Golay cell detector to perform point reflectivity measurements of a wetted polypropylene towel as it dries on a mass balance. A noise limited, minimum detectable concentration difference of less than 0.5% by mass can be detected in water concentrations ranging from 70% to 80%. This sensitivity is sufficient to detect hydration changes caused by many diseases and pathologies and may be useful in the future as a diagnostic tool for the assessment of burns and other surface pathologies.

Citation Download Citation

Shijun Sung, David Bennett, Zachary Taylor, Neha Bajwa, Priyamvada Tewari, Ashkan Maccabi, Martin Culjat, Rahul Singh, and Warren Grundfest "Reflective measurement of water concentration using millimeter wave illumination", Proc. SPIE 7984, Health Monitoring of Structural and Biological Systems 2011, 798434 (18 April 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.883257

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