Methods for determining regional impedance characteristics of inhomogenous specimens using guided electromagnetic fields
Methods for determining characteristics of a specific region within an inhomogeneous specimen by guiding propagation of fields through the inhomogeneous specimen is provided herein. Various embodiments include at least one source of electromagnetic energy for generating electromagnetic waveforms, the electromagnetic waveforms comprising electric and magnetic fields propagating along a prescribed path that defines a series of spatial regions through which the fields propagate. In some embodiments the prescribed path includes field modulating elements that determine a rate of field propagation along the prescribed path. Some embodiments include a plurality of conductors for guiding the field propagation through an inhomogeneous specimen in the prescribed path, the fields spanning between two or more of the plurality of conductors as the fields propagate along the prescribed path. In some embodiments the plurality of conductors are external to the inhomogeneous specimen.
1. A method for determining characteristics of an inhomogeneous specimen by guiding propagation of electric or magnetic fields through the inhomogeneous specimen, the method comprising:
generating electromagnetic waveforms, the electromagnetic waveforms propagating along a prescribed path, the prescribed path defining a series of spatial regions through which fields of the electromagnetic waveforms propagate as a field of propagation;
guiding the field of propagation through the inhomogeneous specimen in the prescribed path, including through a specific region within the inhomogeneous specimen;
determining measurement of the fields of the electromagnetic waveforms propagating along the prescribed path, the measurement of the fields of the electromagnetic waveforms used to determine characteristics of the inhomogeneous specimen and the specific region within the inhomogeneous specimen, respectively;
determining an effective constant of the inhomogeneous specimen and the specific region;
determining whether the effective constant is consistent with a rate of the field of propagation along the prescribed path;
modulating the field of propagation along the prescribed path when the effective constant is not consistent with the rate of the field of propagation along the prescribed path;
measuring waveforms using the field of propagation through the specific region within the inhomogeneous specimen; and
determining features of the inhomogeneous specimen using the waveforms including by characterizing the specific region within the inhomogeneous specimen.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a tomograph of the inhomogeneous specimen using the features of the inhomogeneous specimen including the specific region within the specimen.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring an air gap between a plurality of conductors and the inhomogeneous specimen in the prescribed path.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
adjusting the determining the effective constant using the measuring the air gap to increase accuracy of the determining the effective constant.
5. A method for determining characteristics of an inhomogeneous impedance specimen by comparing impedance characteristics measured from the inhomogeneous impedance specimen, including from a specific region within the specimen, through which fields propagate at a determined direction and rate, the method comprising:
measuring impedances, by a processing unit, across the inhomogeneous impedance specimen, including across the specific region within the specimen, through which fields are propagated at a velocity of propagation;
determining, by the processing unit, permittivity impedance characteristics of the inhomogeneous impedance specimen including the specific region within the specimen using the impedances across the inhomogeneous impedance specimen including across the specific region; and
comparing the permittivity impedance characteristics and evaluating, by the processing unit, if an impedance derived permittivity of the specific region within the inhomogeneous impedance specimen is consistent with permittivity of the velocity of propagation.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
modulating the velocity of propagation to find a most consistent permittivity.
7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising guiding the fields that are propagated through the inhomogeneous impedance specimen including through the specific region, the guiding the fields using a plurality of conductors, the plurality of conductors comprising a first conductor parallel to a second conductor.
8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising guiding the fields that are propagated through the inhomogeneous impedance specimen including through the specific region, the guiding the fields using a plurality of conductors, the plurality of conductors comprising an array of parallel conductor pairs.
9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising guiding the fields that are propagated through the inhomogeneous impedance specimen including through the specific region, the guiding the fields using a plurality of conductors, the plurality of conductors comprising an array of discrete conductors.
10. A method for determining characteristics of an inhomogeneous impedance specimen by comparing impedance characteristics measured from the inhomogeneous impedance specimen, including from a specific region within the specimen, through which fields propagate at a determined direction and rate, the method comprising:
measuring impedances, by a processing unit, across inhomogeneous impedance specimen, including across the specific region within the specimen, through which fields are propagated at a velocity of propagation;
determining, by the processing unit, permeability impedance characteristics of the inhomogeneous impedance specimen, including the specific region within the specimen, using the impedances measured across the inhomogeneous impedance specimen including the specific region; and
comparing the permeability impedance characteristics and evaluating, by the processing unit, if an impedance derived permeability of the specific region within the inhomogeneous impedance specimen is consistent with permeability of the velocity of propagation.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
modulating the velocity of propagation to find a most consistent permeability.
12. A method for determining characteristics of an inhomogeneous impedance specimen, the method comprising:
determining, using a processing unit, an effective dielectric constant of the inhomogeneous impedance specimen and a specific region within the specimen;
determining, using the processing unit, whether the effective dielectric constant is consistent with a rate of field propagation through the specific region;
modulating, using the processing unit, the rate of field propagation along a prescribed path through the inhomogeneous impedance specimen, including through the specific region, when the effective dielectric constant is not consistent with the rate of the field propagation through the specific region; and
determining, using the processing unit, features of the inhomogeneous impedance specimen using waveforms of the field propagation along the prescribed path, including by characterizing the specific region.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
generating a tomograph of the inhomogeneous impedance specimen using the features of the inhomogeneous impedance specimen.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
measuring an air gap between a plurality of conductors and the inhomogeneous impedance specimen in the prescribed path.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
adjusting the determining the effective dielectric constant using the measuring the air gap to increase accuracy of the determining the effective dielectric constant.
16. A method for determining characteristics of an inhomogeneous specimen, the method comprising:
determining, using a processing unit, a relative permittivity of the inhomogeneous specimen and a specific region within the specimen;
determining, using the processing unit, whether the relative permittivity is consistent with a rate of field propagation through the specific region;
modulating, using the processing unit, the rate of field propagation along a prescribed path through the inhomogeneous specimen, including through the specific region, when the relative permittivity is not consistent with the rate of the field propagation through the specific region; and
determining, using the processing unit, features of the inhomogeneous specimen using waveforms of the field propagation along the prescribed path, including by characterizing the specific region.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
generating a tomograph of the inhomogeneous specimen using the features of the inhomogeneous specimen.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
measuring an air gap between a plurality of conductors and the inhomogeneous specimen in the prescribed path.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
adjusting the determining the relative permittivity using the measuring the air gap to increase accuracy of the determining the relative permittivity.