ABSTRACT
Multi-frequency or spectral microwave radiometry is the spectral measurement of the electromagnetic field spontaneously irradiated by a lossy body in the microwave frequency range. To evaluate the ability of spectral radiometry — as well as of other non-invasive techniques — in the clinical practice of hyperthermia, it is necessary to distinguish between thermometry for control and for dosimetry. Spectral microwave radiometry is considered a promising technique for treatment control in superficial hyperthermia in comparison with invasive and other non-invasive thermal measurements. The rationale for the use of microwave radiometry in diagnostics is confined to the detection and diagnosis of pathologic conditions in which there are disease-related temperature differentials: inflammatory or tumor processes or other disease processes. Early experiments of microwave radiometry as a diagnostic tool were born from an enlargement of the capability of infrared imaging toward longer wavelengths which allow deeper tissue to be sensed.
