A multi-channel magnetic induction tomography measurement system for human brain model imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Accurate biological conductivity imaging is crucial for diagnosing conditions like intracerebral hemorrhage.
• Existing methods may face limitations in spatial resolution and sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a multi-channel magnetic induction tomography (MIT) system for biological conductivity imaging.
• To simulate and image intracerebral hemorrhage in a human brain model.

Main Methods:

• A hemispherical glass bowl filled with salt solution served as the human brain model.
• Agar blocks of varying conductivity simulated intracerebral hemorrhage.
• A multi-channel MIT system with coaxial excitation and detection coils, utilizing an axial gradiometer, was employed.
• 15 sensor units were arrayed on the model, with an additional sensor for phase drift cancellation.

Main Results:

• The system achieved a phase sensitivity of 0.204 degrees /S m(-1) at 120 kHz with low phase noise.
• Two-dimensional conductivity distribution images were successfully reconstructed using an interpolation algorithm.
• Imaging quality demonstrated improvement with increasing excitation frequency.

Conclusions:

• The developed multi-channel MIT system is effective for biological conductivity imaging.
• The system shows promise for non-invasive detection of conductivity anomalies, such as those in intracerebral hemorrhage.
• Optimizing excitation frequency enhances the performance of MIT imaging.