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Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
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    Design, implementation, evaluation and application of a 32-channel radio frequency signal generator for thermal magnetic resonance based anti-cancer treatment
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2020) Han, Haopeng; Eigentler, Thomas Wilhelm; Wang, Shuailin; Kretov, Egor; Winter, Lukas; Hoffmann, Werner; Grass, Eckhard; Niendorf, Thoralf
    Thermal Magnetic Resonance (ThermalMR) leverages radio frequency (RF)-induced heating to examine the role of temperature in biological systems and disease. To advance RF heating with multi-channel RF antenna arrays and overcome the shortcomings of current RF signal sources, this work reports on a 32-channel modular signal generator (SGPLL). The SGPLL was designed around phase-locked loop (PLL) chips and a field-programmable gate array chip. To examine the system properties, switching/settling times, accuracy of RF power level and phase shifting were characterized. Electric field manipulation was successfully demonstrated in deionized water. RF heating was conducted in a phantom setup using self-grounded bow-tie RF antennae driven by the SGPLL. Commercial signal generators limited to a lower number of RF channels were used for comparison. RF heating was evaluated with numerical temperature simulations and experimentally validated with MR thermometry. Numerical temperature simulations and heating experiments controlled by the SGPLL revealed the same RF interference patterns. Upon RF heating similar temperature changes across the phantom were observed for the SGPLL and for the commercial devices. To conclude, this work presents the first 32-channel modular signal source for RF heating. The large number of coherent RF channels, wide frequency range and accurate phase shift provided by the SGPLL form a technological basis for ThermalMR controlled hyperthermia anti-cancer treatment. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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    Characterization of the demonstrator of the fast silicon monolithic ASIC for the TT-PET project
    (London : Inst. of Physics, 2019) Paolozzi, L.; Bandi, Y.; Cardarelli, R.; Débieux, S.; Favre, Y.; Ferrère, D.; Forshaw, D.; Hayakawa, D.; Iacobucci, G.; Kaynak, M.; Miucci, A.; Nessi, M.; Ripiccini, E.; Rücker, H.; Valerio, P.; Weber, M.
    The TT-PET collaboration is developing a small animal TOF-PET scanner based on monolithic silicon pixel sensors in SiGe BiCMOS technology. The demonstrator chip, a small-scale version of the final detector ASIC, consists of a 03 × 1 pixel matrix integrated with the front-end, a 50 ps binning TDC and read out logic. The chip, thinned down to 100 µm and backside metallized, was operated at a voltage of 180 V. The tests on a beam line of minimum ionizing particles show a detection efficiency greater than 99.9% and a time resolution down to 110 ps. © 2019 CERN.
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    Testbeam results of the Picosecond Avalanche Detector proof-of-concept prototype
    (London : Inst. of Physics, 2022) Iacobucci, G.; Zambito, S.; Milanesio, M.; Moretti, T.; Saidi, J.; Paolozzi, L.; Munker, M.; Cardella, R.; Martinelli, F.; Picardi, A.; Rücker, H.; Trusch, A.; Valerio, P.; Cadoux, F.; Cardarelli, R.; Débieux, S.; Favre, Y.; Fenoglio, C.A.; Ferrere, D.; Gonzalez-Sevilla, S.; Gurimskaya, Y.; Kotitsa, R.; Magliocca, C.; Nessi, M.; Pizarro-Medina, A.; Sabater Iglesias, J.; Vicente Barreto Pinto, M.
    The proof-of-concept prototype of the Picosecond Avalanche Detector, a multi-PN junction monolithic silicon detector with continuous gain layer deep in the sensor depleted region, was tested with a beam of 180 GeV pions at the CERN SPS. The prototype features low noise and fast SiGe BiCMOS frontend electronics and hexagonal pixels with 100 μm pitch. At a sensor bias voltage of 125 V, the detector provides full efficiency and average time resolution of 30, 25 and 17 ps in the overall pixel area for a power consumption of 0.4, 0.9 and 2.7 W/cm2, respectively. In this first prototype the time resolution depends significantly on the distance from the center of the pixel, varying at the highest power consumption measured between 13 ps at the center of the pixel and 25 ps in the inter-pixel region.
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    Test beam measurement of the first prototype of the fast silicon pixel monolithic detector for the TT-PET project
    (London : Inst. of Physics, 2018) Paolozzi, L.; Bandi, Y.; Benoit, M.; Cardarelli, R.; Débieux, S.; Forshaw, D.; Hayakawa, D.; Iacobucci, G.; Kaynak, M.; Miucci, A.; Nessi, M.; Ratib, O.; Ripiccini, E.; Rücker, H.; Valerio, P.; Weber, M.
    The TT-PET collaboration is developing a PET scanner for small animals with 30 ps time-of-flight resolution and sub-millimetre 3D detection granularity. The sensitive element of the scanner is a monolithic silicon pixel detector based on state-of-the-art SiGe BiCMOS technology. The first ASIC prototype for the TT-PET was produced and tested in the laboratory and with minimum ionizing particles. The electronics exhibit an equivalent noise charge below 600 e− RMS and a pulse rise time of less than 2 ns , in accordance with the simulations. The pixels with a capacitance of 0.8 pF were measured to have a detection efficiency greater than 99% and, although in the absence of the post-processing, a time resolution of approximately 200 ps .
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    Picosecond Avalanche Detector — working principle and gain measurement with a proof-of-concept prototype
    (London : Inst. of Physics, 2022) Paolozzi, L.; Munker, M.; Cardella, R.; Milanesio, M.; Gurimskaya, Y.; Martinelli, F.; Picardi, A.; Rücker, H.; Trusch, A.; Valerio, P.; Cadoux, F.; Cardarelli, R.; Débieux, S.; Favre, Y.; Fenoglio, C.A.; Ferrere, D.; Gonzalez-Sevilla, S.; Kotitsa, R.; Magliocca, C.; Moretti, T.; Nessi, M.; Pizarro Medina, A.; Sabater Iglesias, J.; Saidi, J.; Vicente Barreto Pinto, M.; Zambito, S.; Iacobucci, G.
    The Picosecond Avalanche Detector is a multi-junction silicon pixel detector based on a (NP)drift(NP)gain structure, devised to enable charged-particle tracking with high spatial resolution and picosecond time-stamp capability. It uses a continuous junction deep inside the sensor volume to amplify the primary charge produced by ionizing radiation in a thin absorption layer. The signal is then induced by the secondary charges moving inside a thicker drift region. A proof-of-concept monolithic prototype, consisting of a matrix of hexagonal pixels with 100 μm pitch, has been produced using the 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS process by IHP microelectronics. Measurements on probe station and with a 55Fe X-ray source show that the prototype is functional and displays avalanche gain up to a maximum electron gain of 23. A study of the avalanche characteristics, corroborated by TCAD simulations, indicates that space-charge effects due to the large primary charge produced by the conversion of X-rays from the ^55Fe source limits the effective gain.
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    A 50 ps resolution monolithic active pixel sensor without internal gain in SiGe BiCMOS technology
    (London : Inst. of Physics, 2019) Iacobucci, G.; Cardarelli, R.; Débieux, S.; Di Bello, F.A.; Favre, Y.; Hayakawa, D.; Kaynak, M.; Nessi, M.; Paolozzi, L.; Rücker, H.; Sultan, D.M.S.; Valerio, P.
    A monolithic pixelated silicon detector designed for high time resolution has been produced in the SG13G2 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology of IHP. This proof-of-concept chip contains hexagonal pixels of 65 µm and 130 µm side. The SiGe front-end electronics implemented provides an equivalent noise charge of 90 and 160 e- for a pixel capacitance of 70 and 220 fF, respectively, and a total time walk of less than 1 ns. Lab measurements with a 90Sr source show a time resolution of the order of 50 ps. This result is competitive with silicon technologies that integrate an avalanche gain mechanism. © 2019 CERN.
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    Advanced Signal Processing and Adaptive Learning Methods
    (New York, NY [u.a.] : Hindawi Publ. Corp., 2019) Delić, Vlado; Stamenković, Zoran; Pokrajac, David
    [No abstract available]
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    Radio Frequency CMOS Chem-bio Viscosity Sensors based on Dielectric Spectroscopy
    ([Setúbal] : SCITEPRESS - Science and Technology Publications, Lda., 2017) Guha, Subhajit; Wenger, Christian; Peixoto, Nathalia; Fred, Ana; Gamboa, Hugo; Vaz, Mário
    This paper presents a CMOS Radio frequency dielectric sensor platform for the detection of relative viscosity changes in a fluid sample. The operating frequency of the sensor is 12.28 GHz. This frequency range has been chosen for high signal to noise ratio and also to avoid other low frequency dispersion mechanisms for future lab on chip applications. The sensor chip has been fabricated in 250 nm BiCMOS technology of IHP. The measurements conducted to show the relative viscosity variation detection capability of the sensor chip, were based on mixtures of glycerol and water as well as glycerol and organic alcohol. The detection limit of viscosity is dependent on the permittivity contrast of the sample constituent. Therefore, it is also shown the choice of frequency inherently aids in the permittivity contrast of the sample constituents.
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    Effectiveness of myAirCoach: A mHealth Self-Management System in Asthma
    (Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier, 2020) Khusial, Rishi J.; Honkoop, Persijn J.; Usmani, Omar; Soares, Marcia; Simpson, Andrew; Biddiscombe, Martyn; Meah, Sally; Bonini, Matteo; Lalas, Antonios; Polychronidou, Eleftheria; Koopmans, Julia G.; Moustakas, Konstantinos; Snoeck-Stroband, Jiska B.; Ortmann, Steffen; Votis, Konstantinos; Tzovaras, Dimitrios; Chung, Kian Fan; Fowler, Stephen; Sont, Jacob K.
    Background: Self-management programs have beneficial effects on asthma control, but their implementation in clinical practice is poor. Mobile health (mHealth) could play an important role in enhancing self-management. Objective: To assess the clinical effectiveness and technology acceptance of myAirCoach-supported self-management on top of usual care in patients with asthma using inhalation medication. Methods: Patients were recruited in 2 separate studies. The myAirCoach system consisted of an inhaler adapter, an indoor air-quality monitor, a physical activity tracker, a portable spirometer, a fraction exhaled nitric oxide device, and an app. The primary outcome was asthma control; secondary outcomes were exacerbations, quality of life, and technology acceptance. In study 1, 30 participants were randomized to either usual care or myAirCoach support for 3 to 6 months; in study 2, 12 participants were provided with the myAirCoach system in a 3-month before-after study. Results: In study 1, asthma control improved in the intervention group compared with controls (Asthma Control Questionnaire difference, 0.70; P = .006). A total of 6 exacerbations occurred in the intervention group compared with 12 in the control group (hazard ratio, 0.31; P = .06). Asthma-related quality of life improved (mini Asthma-related Quality of Life Questionnaire difference, 0.53; P = .04), but forced expiratory volume in 1 second was unchanged. In study 2, asthma control improved by 0.86 compared with baseline (P = .007) and quality of life by 0.16 (P = .64). Participants reported positive attitudes toward the system. Discussion: Using the myAirCoach support system improves asthma control and quality of life, with a reduction in severe asthma exacerbations. Well-validated mHealth technologies should therefore be further studied. © 2020 The Authors