This paper studies the feasibility of Microwave Imaging (MWI) for detection of fractures in superficial bones like the tibia, using a simple and practical setup. First-responders could use it for fast preliminary diagnosis in emergency locations, where X-Rays are not available. It may prove valuable also for cases where X-ray are not recommended, e.g., length pregnant women or children. The method is inspired on the synthetic aperture radar technique. A single Vivaldi antenna is used to linearly scan the bone in the 8.3-11.1 GHz frequency range and collect the scattered fields. The system is operated in air, without the need for impractical impedance-matching immersion liquids. The image is reconstructed using a Kirchhoff migration algorithm. A Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) strategy is used to remove skin and background artifacts. To test this technique, a set of full-wave simulations and experiments were conducted on a multilayer phantom and on an ex-vivo animal bone. Results show that the system can detect and locate bone transverse fractures as small as 1 mm width and 13 mm deep, even when the bone is wrapped by 2 mm thick skin.

中文翻译：

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使用微波成像检测骨折的可行性

本文研究了微波成像 (MWI) 使用简单实用的设置检测胫骨等浅表骨骼骨折的可行性。急救人员可以使用它在无法使用 X 射线的紧急位置进行快速初步诊断。对于不推荐使用 X 光检查的情况，例如，长度为孕妇或儿童的情况，它也可能被证明是有价值的。该方法受到合成孔径雷达技术的启发。单个 Vivaldi 天线用于在 8.3-11.1 GHz 频率范围内线性扫描骨骼并收集散射场。该系统在空气中运行，不需要不切实际的阻抗匹配浸没液体。使用 Kirchhoff 迁移算法重建图像。奇异值分解 (SVD) 策略用于去除皮肤和背景伪影。为了测试这项技术，在多层模型和离体动物骨骼上进行了一组全波模拟和实验。结果表明，即使骨骼被 2 mm 厚的皮肤包裹，该系统也可以检测和定位小至 1 mm 宽和 13 mm 深的横向骨折。