Practical applications of multiple signal classification

Abstract

Two examples demonstrating the practical utility of multiple signal classification (MUSIC) in the imaging of small objects using inverse scattering formulations are presented in this article. For the first application (of interest to construction engineers), the task is to detect the presence of steel bars and empty ducts embedded within reinforced concrete; the results demonstrate that reinforcement bars of various sizes and empty ducts can be readily detected using MUSIC even in the presence of significant measurement noise. For the second application (of interest to oncologists treating breast cancer), the ultra-wideband variation of MUSIC has been developed for the noninvasive imaging of malignant tissues that are very small in size; the results indicate that it may assist in the early detection of very small malignant tumors even in the midst of fatty tissues. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.