The importance of phase measurement in electrical impedance tomography

A method is described for reconstructing images of electrical conductivity and relative permittivity in electrical impedance tomography (applied potential tomography). The method relies on measurement of both the amplitude and the phase of the surface electric potential profile. The principle is demonstrated using a computer model to simulate measurements. The reconstructed images, referenced to homogeneous saline, agree qualitatively with the values of conductivity and permittivity used in the computer model. In addition, by displaying the imaginary part of the logarithm of the complex electrical conductivity, certain tissues, e.g. liver and kidney, are emphasised on the image. When the same parameter is displayed for simulated dual-frequency measurements, in which 150 kHz values are referenced against 100 kHz, liver and pancreas are emphasised. These results suggest the possibility of distinguishing between different types of soft tissue more effectively than if only signal amplitudes are measured. The phase changes in the simulated signals, on which the formation of such images depends, have a mean value of 13.3 degrees for the saline-referenced simulation but only 1.6 degrees for the dual-frequency simulation requiring accurate measurement in practice.