Three-dimensional EIT imaging of breast tissues: system design and clinical testing

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Electrical Impedance Tomography

Background:

• The mammary gland undergoes physiological changes influencing its electrical properties.
• Accurate breast imaging is crucial for diagnostics, especially malignant tumor detection.
• Existing imaging methods may have limitations in assessing dynamic physiological changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of electrical impedance mammography (EIM) for investigating mammary gland states in women with varying hormonal status.
• To assess the efficacy of a novel 256-electrode medical imaging system for 3D conductivity distribution imaging.
• To establish baseline conductivity values for normal mammary glands across different physiological periods.

Main Methods:

• Development and testing of a new medical imaging system utilizing a 256-electrode planar array.
• Application of an advanced image reconstruction algorithm for 3D conductivity mapping.
• In vivo clinical testing and tomographic image acquisition from human subjects.

Main Results:

• The developed system successfully images 3D conductivity distribution up to several centimeters deep.
• Clear visual distinctions and statistically significant differences in mammary gland conductivity were observed across different physiological groups (menstrual cycle, pregnancy, lactation, postmenopause).
• Tomographic images obtained in vivo demonstrated the system's capability for breast tissue imaging.

Conclusions:

• Electrical impedance mammography shows promise for investigating mammary gland states and detecting abnormalities.
• The system's ability to differentiate conductivity based on hormonal status provides a foundation for establishing normal physiological conductivity ranges.
• Further research using this system on pathological mammary glands is warranted.