Wearable and Portable Microwave Diagnostics for Neurodegenerative Disease Detection

In recent years, microwave imaging techniques have been used to detect breast cancer, stroke, and congestive heart failure due to the difference between dielectric constants of healthy and unhealthy tissues. Compared to more conventional methods, such as computed tomography (CT) scan and X-rays, microwave imaging has the advantage of being low cost and having a non-ionisation method. Ultra-wideband (UWB) radar based imaging works by first transmitting a short pulse towards a specified target and measuring its scattered field. Wearable devices have also been gaining widespread attention from various fields, especially in the medical and consumer markets.

In this research, a wearable and portable UWB radar-based microwave imagining device will be developed to realise an almost real-time detection of neurodegenerative diseases in the brain, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Current methods that are used to detect and image neurodegenerative diseases are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT, and positron emission tomography (PET). Unfortunately, with the high cost and inaccessibility of CT, MRI, and PET devices in some places, it is difficult for caregivers to provide the right treatment for Alzheimer’s patient. The project described herein will provide a low cost and portable system for detecting and monitoring neurodegenerative diseases on a real-time basis. The efficiency and accuracy of the system will ensure that doctors and caregivers will be able to monitor the current progression of the disease in patients and cater the treatment accordingly depending on the area of the brain that is affected. In addition, the portability of the device can allow it to be used at small clinics and homes at the convenience of the patients. There currently exists no other solution or approach that can claim what we are proposing.

The key objectives of the research include:

  • Investigate the complex structure of the brain and how it is affected by neurodegenerative diseases
  • Investigate how microwave antennas can be used to detect changes in the brain as a result of neurodegenerative diseases
  • Measure dielectric properties of brain tissue samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease and compare them with those from healthy control sample
  • Explore designs and miniaturise antennas for wearable applications
  • Fabricate a flexible and directional antenna with the required frequency bandwidth that allows microwaves to specific area in the brain
  • Develop a robust, quick, and accurate microwave imaging algorithm that will display images of plaques and tangles located in the brain and compare with those obtained from PET and MRI scans
  • Utilise machine learning and deep learning techniques to classify and monitor the progression or stage of neurodegenerative disease

Recent Publications:

  • I. Saied, T. Arslan, S. Chandran, C. Smith, T. Spires-Jones and S. Pal, "Non-Invasive RF Technique for Detecting Different Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and Imaging Beta-Amyloid Plaques and Tau Tangles in the Brain," in IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, vol. 39, no. 12, pp. 4060-4070, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1109/TMI.2020.3011359.
  • I. Saied, S. Chandran and T. Arslan, "Integrated Flexible Hybrid Silicone-Textile Dual-Resonant Sensors and Switching Circuit for Wearable Neurodegeneration Monitoring Systems," in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 1304-1312, Dec. 2019.
  • I. Saied and T. Arslan, "Non-Invasive Wearable RF Device towards Monitoring Brain Atrophy and Lateral Ventricle Enlargement," in IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology.
  • I. Saied, M. S. R. Bashri, T. Arslan, C. Smith and S. Chandran, "Dielectric Measurements of Brain Tissues with Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology in the Microwave Region," 2019 IEEE International Symposium on Medical Measurements and Applications (MeMeA), Istanbul, Turkey, 2019, pp. 1-6.
  • I. Saied and T. Arslan, "Microwave Imaging Algorithm for Detecting Brain Disorders," 2019 29th International Conference Radioelektronika (RADIOELEKTRONIKA), Pardubice, Czech Republic, 2019, pp. 1-5.
  • I. Saied, M. S. R. Bashri, and T. Arslan, “Wideband Textile Antenna for Monitoring Neurodegenerative Diseases,” IEEE Symposium on Personal, Indoor, and Mobile Radio Communications, Bologna, Italy, September 9, 2018.
  • I. Saied, M. S. R. Bashri, and T. Arslan, “Wideband Textile-Based Sensors for Detecting Brain Disorders,” Antennas & Propagation Conference (LAPC), 2018 Loughborough, IEEE, Loughborough, UK, November 12, 2018