Microwave imaging: Reconstructions from experimental data using conjugate gradient and enhancement by edge-preserving regularization

A method for reconstructing the complex permittivity profile of lossy dielectric objects from measured scattered far-field data is presented. An iterative reconstruction algorithm based on a conjugate gradient method is derived from an integral representation of the electric field and applying a moment method solution. Results obtained from experimental data are shown for both known and unknown targets. Then, a new regularization procedure is developed to enhance the quality of the reconstruction. This method, based on a Markov random fields approach, models the object to be reconstructed by homogeneous areas separated by borderlike discontinuities. Finally, the enhancement is shown by the reconstruction of a polystyrene square cylinder. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 8, 337–342, 1997     

A three-dimensional inverse finite-element method applied to experimental eddy-current imaging data

Eddy-current techniques can be used to create electrical conductivity mapping of an object. The eddy-current imaging system in this paper is a magnetic induction tomography (MIT) system. MIT images the electrical conductivity of the target based on impedance measurements from pairs of excitation and detection coils. The inverse problem here is ill-posed and nonlinear. Current state-of-the-art image reconstruction methods in MIT are generally based on linear algorithms. In this paper, a regularized Gauss-Newton scheme has been implemented based on an edge finite-element forward solver and an efficient formula for the Jacobian matrix. Applications of Tikhonov and total variation regularization have been studied. Results are presented from experimental data collected from a newly developed MIT system. The paper also presents further progress in using an MIT system for molten metal flow visualization in continuous casting by applying the proposed algorithm in a real experiment in a continuous casting pilot plant of Corus RD&T, Teesside Technology Centre.     

Compensated speckle imaging: theory and experimental results

Previous analyses have predicted that improved power-spectrum estimation results from application of speckle-imaging postprocessing to compensated astronomical images. We report the first results, to our knowledge, of compensated-speckle-imaging experiments, conducted at a compensated telescope operated by the U.S. Air Force, that confirm these predictions. The power-spectrum signal-to-noise ratio is used as the metric for evaluating the performance. We report the results of power-spectrum estimation for a single star and three binary stars, and we reconstruct images of the binary stars using the bispectrum method to obtain the Fourier phase of the object. Compensated and uncompensated results are compared. A previously derived expression that expresses the power-spectrum signal-to-noise ratio in terms of the compensated optical transfer function statistics and object parameters is verified by experimental data.     

Elasticity imaging using conventional and high-frame rate ultrasound imaging: experimental study

High-frame rate ultrasound imaging is necessary to track fast deformation in ultrasound elasticity imaging, but the image quality may be degraded. Previously, we investigated the performance of strain imaging using numerical models of conventional and ultrafast ultrasound imaging techniques. In this paper, we performed experimental studies to quantitatively evaluate the strain images and elasticity maps obtained using conventional and high frame rate ultrasound imaging methods. The experiments were carried out using point target and tissue mimicking phantoms. The experimental results were compared with the results of numerical simulation. Our experimental studies confirm that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and axial/lateral resolution of the displacement and strain images acquired using high-frame rate ultrasound imaging are slightly lower but comparable with those obtained using conventional imaging. Furthermore, the quality of elasticity images also exhibits similar trends. Thus, high-frame rate ultrasound imaging can be used reliably for static elasticity imaging to capture the internal tissue motion if the frame rate is critical.     

Panel data analysis—advantages and challenges

We explain the proliferation of panel data studies in terms of (i) data availability, (ii) the more heightened capacity for modeling the complexity of human behavior than a single cross-section or time series data can possibly allow, and (iii) challenging methodology. Advantages and issues of panel data modeling are also discussed. This invited paper is discussed in the comments available at: , , , , , , , .     

Wide-field Fizeau imaging telescope: experimental results

A nine-aperture, wide-field Fizeau imaging telescope has been built at the Lockheed-Martin Advanced Technology Center. The telescope consists of nine, 125 mm diameter collector telescopes coherently phased and combined to form a diffraction-limited image with a resolution that is consistent with the 610 mm diameter of the telescope. The phased field of view of the array is 1 murad. The measured rms wavefront error is 0.08 waves rms at 635 nm. The telescope is actively controlled to correct for tilt and phasing errors. The control sensing technique is the method known as phase diversity, which extracts wavefront information from a pair of focused and defocused images. The optical design of the telescope and typical performance results are described.     

Hysteresis parameter identification with limited experimental data

The Preisach operator and its variants have been successfully used in the modeling of hysteresis observed in ferromagnetic, magnetostrictive, and piezoelectric materials. However, in designing with these "smart" materials, one has to determine a density function for the Preisach operator by using the input-output behavior of the material at hand. In this paper, we describe a method for numerically determining an approximation of the density function when there is not enough experimental data to uniquely solve for the actual density function by Mayergoyz's method. We present theoretical justification for our method by establishing links to regularization methods for ill-posed problems. We also present numerical results where we estimate an approximate density function from data published in the literature for a magnetostrictive actuator and two electroactive polymers.     

Computed-tomography imaging spectrometer: experimental calibration and reconstruction results

A temporally and spatially nonscanning imaging spectrometer is described in terms of computedtomography concepts, specifically the central-slice theorem. A sequence of three transmission sinusoidalphase gratings rotated in 60° increments achieves dispersion in multiple directions and into multiple orders. The dispersed images of the system's field stop are interpreted as two-dimensional projections of a three-dimensional (x, y, λ) object cube. Because of the size of the finite focal-plane array, this imaging spectrometer is an example of a limited-view-angle tomographic system. The imaging spectrometer's point spread function is measured experimentally as a function of wavelength and position in the field of view. Reconstruction of the object cube is then achieved through the maximum-likelihood, expectation-maximization algorithm under the assumption of a Poisson likelihood law. Experimental results indicate that the instrument performs well in the case of broadband and narrow-band emitters.     

Predicting the viscosity of liquid refrigerant blends: comparison with experimental data

A method is presented for predicting the viscosity of liquid refrigerant mixtures. The method has no adjustable parameters and, in essence, relies upon the knowledge of the viscosity of the pure components to predict the viscosity of a mixture by means of kinetic theory and rigid-sphere formalism. The predictions have been compared with the available experimental data for a number of refrigerant mixtures. Based on this comparison and previous studies, the accuracy of the proposed method is assessed to be of the order of ±7%.     

Optical diffusion imaging: a comparative numerical and experimental study

We present a low-cost photodiode-LED apparatus for making broadband frequency domain photon migration measurements. We compare measured data to finite-difference frequency domain solutions of the diffusion approximation of the Boltzmann transport equation. Specific comparisons include the influence of boundary conditions on simulations and the effect of finite source size on resolution.