Abstract: A hybrid system is developed using thermal and electrical impedance imaging methods together. The innovation of the approach relies on the frequency dependence of the tissue's electrical impedance which facilitates the acquisition of multiple thermal images with currents at different frequencies injected to the region of the body under inspection. Proposed method without current application (in passive mode of operation) provides images which are obtained by standard thermal imagers. On the other hand, the application of the electrical current (in active mode of operation) increases the temperature contrast on the body surface depending on the electrical property of tissue. Therefore, the technique while increasing the thermal contrast provides frequency dependent conductivity distribution data which can be used as a basis for the detection of the breast carcinoma. The sensitivity of the technique is increased by an infrared camera with dual band (MWIR/LWIR) imaging capability.

Abstract: A hybrid system is developed using thermal and electrical impedance imaging methods together. The innovation of the approach relies on the frequency dependence of the tissue's electrical impedance which facilitates the acquisition of multiple thermal images with currents at different frequencies injected to the region of the body under inspection. Proposed method without current application (in passive mode of operation) provides images which are obtained by standard thermal imagers. On the other hand, the application of the electrical current (in active mode of operation) increases the temperature contrast on the body surface depending on the electrical property of tissue. Therefore, the technique while increasing the thermal contrast provides frequency dependent conductivity distribution data which can be used as a basis for the detection of the breast carcinoma. The sensitivity of the technique is increased by an infrared camera with dual band (MWIR/LWIR) imaging capability.