Imaging and quantification of anomaly volume using an eight-electrode 'hemiarray' EIT reconstruction method

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) offers portability and rapid data acquisition advantages.
• Conventional EIT electrode placement may be unsuitable for trauma patients requiring minimal movement.
• Adapting EIT to specific clinical needs, like emergency medicine, can enhance its utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a new EIT electrode topology, the 'hemiarray', for monitoring trauma patients.
• To assess the hemiarray's capability in quantifying internal bleeding in a phantom model.
• To compare the hemiarray method's performance against conventional EIT reconstruction techniques.

Main Methods:

• A novel 'hemiarray' electrode configuration with eight electrodes on the anterior surface was designed.
• Two-dimensional sensitivity matrix and weighted singular value decomposition were used for image reconstruction.
• A saline phantom was used to evaluate the hemiarray's accuracy in estimating blood volume, with and without a QI normalizing filter.

Main Results:

• The hemiarray method estimated blood volume with an uncertainty of approximately 27 ml in a 2D case and 38 ml in an approximate 3D case without image correction.
• After applying a QI normalizing filter, uncertainties were reduced to about 15 ml (2D) and 30 ml (approximate 3D).
• The results demonstrate the hemiarray's potential for non-invasive bleeding quantification in trauma patients.

Conclusions:

• The hemiarray EIT approach is a viable method for monitoring trauma patients, especially when minimizing patient movement is critical.
• This electrode topology enhances EIT's applicability in emergency medicine settings.
• Further research may refine the hemiarray method for improved accuracy in clinical settings.