Microwave tomographic imaging for osteoporosis screening: a pilot clinical study.

We are developing a microwave tomographic system for assessment of overall bone health. We hypothesize that as the mineralization of bone decreases due to the normal aging process and for more extreme situations such as osteoporosis, the dielectric property signature will also vary accordingly. To determine the merits of this approach, we have begun by performing initial exams of the heel to assess the level of image quality achievable. Early experience from our pilot study is encouraging and indicates that multiple planes of 2D images produce good representations of the 3D structural features within the heel.