Efficient encoding methods for small numbers of pixels to achieve high sensitivity for screening

Abstract

Screening for early ovarian cancer is critical because it would increase survival dramatically. Ovarian cancer is cured at very high rates when found early but is almost never found until it has metastasized and the survival rate is very low. Ovarian cancer screening might be possible using immunologically targeted magnetic nanoparticles (mNP). mNP injected into the peritoneum are delivered to the cancer by phagocytic cells using the bodies own immune system. Magnetic detection of the mNP does not require ionizing radiation and can be made at low mNP concentrations. Screening only requires the number of nanoparticles in each ovary so minimal localization is required: only two pixels. We present simulation results showing that spatial encoding for two pixels can be achieved using many sets of harmonics ranging from only two harmonics to essentially all the harmonics. However, the highest SNR measurements are achieved using only two harmonics that approximate a wavelet basis.