Evaluating the impact of electrode planes on regional lung function assessment

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Physiology
• Medical Imaging
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive imaging technique used to assess regional lung function.
• Standardization of EIT measurement planes is essential for accurate and reproducible lung function analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different measurement planes affect regional lung function assessments using EIT.
• To determine the optimal intercostal space (ICS) for EIT-based lung function testing.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 30 healthy male volunteers performing a forced vital capacity (FVC) maneuver.
• Simultaneous EIT measurements were recorded at the 3rd, 4th, and 5th ICS.
• EIT-derived spirometry parameters and functional images were analyzed for spatial and temporal distribution differences across measurement planes.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in 67% of EIT-based spatial and temporal distribution parameters were observed across measurement planes.
• EIT images showed the most homogeneity at ICS 4, except for the time to 75% FVC.
• Lung areas identified by EIT decreased, and FVC distribution shifted dorsally as the measurement plane moved from ICS 3 to ICS 5.

Conclusions:

• The choice of measurement plane demonstrably influences regional lung function assessment by EIT.
• Consistent use of the same measurement plane is recommended for comparative EIT studies.
• ICS 4 is suggested as the preferred measurement plane for EIT-based lung function testing in seated individuals.