mmWave Sensing for Detecting Movement Through Thermoplastic Masks During Radiation Therapy Treatment

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kourani, Ali, Abbasi, Naveed A., Fatima, Syeda Narjis, Haneda, Katsuyuki, Molisch, Andreas F.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Kourani, Ali
Abbasi, Naveed A.
Fatima, Syeda Narjis
Haneda, Katsuyuki
Molisch, Andreas F.
author_facet Kourani, Ali
Abbasi, Naveed A.
Fatima, Syeda Narjis
Haneda, Katsuyuki
Molisch, Andreas F.
contents Precision in radiation therapy relies on immobilization systems that limit patient motion. Thermoplastic masks are commonly used for this purpose, but subtle voluntary and involuntary movements such as jaw shifts, deep breathing, or eye squinting may still compromise treatment accuracy. Existing motion tracking methods are limited: optical systems require a clear line of sight and only detect surface motion, while X-ray-based tracking introduces additional ionizing radiation. This study explores the use of low-power, non-ionizing millimeter-wave (mmWave) sensing for through-mask motion detection. We characterize the RF properties of thermoplastic mask material in the 28-38 GHz range and perform motion detection using a 1 GHz bandwidth centered at 28 GHz. We use a frequency-domain system with horn antennas in a custom-built anechoic chamber to capture changes in the amplitude and phase of transmitted RF waves in response to subtle head and facial movements. These findings lay groundwork for future real-time through-mask motion tracking and future integration with multi-antenna systems and machine learning for error correction during radiotherapy.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_00917
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle mmWave Sensing for Detecting Movement Through Thermoplastic Masks During Radiation Therapy Treatment
Kourani, Ali
Abbasi, Naveed A.
Fatima, Syeda Narjis
Haneda, Katsuyuki
Molisch, Andreas F.
Signal Processing
Precision in radiation therapy relies on immobilization systems that limit patient motion. Thermoplastic masks are commonly used for this purpose, but subtle voluntary and involuntary movements such as jaw shifts, deep breathing, or eye squinting may still compromise treatment accuracy. Existing motion tracking methods are limited: optical systems require a clear line of sight and only detect surface motion, while X-ray-based tracking introduces additional ionizing radiation. This study explores the use of low-power, non-ionizing millimeter-wave (mmWave) sensing for through-mask motion detection. We characterize the RF properties of thermoplastic mask material in the 28-38 GHz range and perform motion detection using a 1 GHz bandwidth centered at 28 GHz. We use a frequency-domain system with horn antennas in a custom-built anechoic chamber to capture changes in the amplitude and phase of transmitted RF waves in response to subtle head and facial movements. These findings lay groundwork for future real-time through-mask motion tracking and future integration with multi-antenna systems and machine learning for error correction during radiotherapy.
title mmWave Sensing for Detecting Movement Through Thermoplastic Masks During Radiation Therapy Treatment
topic Signal Processing
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.00917