Thermal Coherence Tomography: Depth-Resolved Imaging in Parabolic Diffusion-Wave Fields Using the Thermal-Wave Radar

摘要

Energy transport in diffusion-wave fields is gradient driven and therefore diffuse, yielding depth-integrated responses with poor axial resolution. Using matched filter principles, a methodology is proposed enabling these parabolic diffusion-wave energy fields to exhibit energy localization akin to propagating hyperbolic wave fields. This not only improves the axial resolution, but also allows for deconvolution of individual responses of superposed axially discrete sources, opening a new field of depth-resolved subsurface thermal coherence tomography using diffusion waves. The depth-resolved nature of the developed methodology is verified through experiments carried out on phantoms and biological samples. The results suggest that thermal coherence tomography can resolve deep structural changes in hard dental and bone tissues, allowing for remote detection of early dental caries and potentially early osteoporosis.