Microwave endoscope detection and treatment system

DETAILED DESCRIPTION To accomplish the foregoing and other objects of this invention, there is provided in accordance with the present invention, a microwave system for the diagnosis of cancerous tumors employing non-invasive microwave techniques.
This system may also be employed in the treatment of cancer.
The system is preferably totally battery operated, thus eliminating any possible problems associated with line transients, pickup, etc.
The system comprises a sensitive passive microwave radiometer particularly adapted for sensing subsurface temperatures, in combination with a solid state transmitter that provides localized heating of the subsurface tissue.
This localized heating essentially enhances the tumor from a temperature differential standpoint, taking advantage of the differential heating due to vascular insufficiency associated with the thermal characteristics of tumors.
This technique highlights and enhances the early detection of cancer tumors.
The selection of both the radiometer and the transmitter frequencies is based upon the following factors: 1.
Emissivity, which increases with increasing frequency; 2.
Spatial resolution; and 3.
Microwave transmission characteristics.
In the embodiment disclosed herein, the frequency for the radiometer is selected at 4.
7 GHz sufficiently removed from the selected microwave heating frequency of 1.
6 GHz.
An applicator forms the means by which the system couples to the body.
This applicator employs a simple TE.
sub.
1-0 mode aperture that is placed in direct contact with the radiating or emitting surface.
The aperture is formed by a single-ridged waveguide which is preferred because its use lowers the frequency at which cutoff occurs.
To further reduce the size of the aperture, dielectric loading is employed.
The waveguide dimensions for operation at L-band and the dimensions of the ridged portion of the L-band ridged wave guide are selected to allow propagation of the higher frequency associated with the C-band radiometer.
By having the radiometer input contained within the single-ridged waveguide