A Virtual Confocal Microscope with Variable Diameter to Improve Resolution

A widely known process to examine malign tissues is microwave imaging. It depends on the contrast in dielectric properties between malign and benign tissues. The virtual confocal microscope is one of the methods which uses microwave frequencies to detect cancer. It focuses the incoming reflected waves from the tissues using a virtual lens to form a cross sectional image of the object being imaged. Here, we highlight a mathematical relationship that relates the distance between the virtual lens and the obtained image with specific values for the diameter of the virtual lens used. The allowed diameters of the lens for a given specific distance from lens to image are calculated. Two objects are proposed to be used to clarify the idea. One object stands at the center of the virtual lens and the other is placed off the center. For each object, two images are calculated and compared. One image is calculated using a random value for the diameter of the lens. Another image is calculated using one of the allowed diameters for the virtual lens. The images which are calculated using the allowed diameter have proven to be of a better quality even when objects are placed off the center. Keywords—Confocal Imaging; Lens Design; Microwave Frequency; Resolution; Virtual Microscope