A METHOD OF INFRARED TOMOGRAPHY, ACTIVE AND PASSIVE, FOR EARLIER DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER

摘要

A device and method are disclosed to non-invasively identify a lesion inside a region of living tissue. The region is exposed to medium infrared (MIR) radiation to preferentially heat the lesion. The region is then scanned for black body radiation in a medium infrared waveband. A lesion, being hotter than the surrounding tissue, is detected as domain of increased local emittance of MIR radiation. Further scanning or heating in a second waveband is used to identify a particular class of lesions. The invention is particularly useful for early identification of malignant breast cancer.