电阻抗断层成像技术进展

电阻抗断层成像技术分为:静态EIT(以电阻抗分布的绝对值为成像目标)和动态EIT(以电阻抗分布的相对值为成像目标),它是近年来国内外生物医学工程研究的比较热门的一种成像技术。因为与已有的X射线成像、计算机断层扫描成像(CT)、核磁共振成像(MRI)及超声成像相比,这种新的成像技术不仅具有解剖学的特征信息,还有功能性成像的性质。又因为它的无创、简单、便宜、容易应用等特点,在临床有着很好的应用前景。本文通过数学、物理以及应用上的论述并结合了最新的国内外科研动态。介绍了电阻抗断层成像技术的数学计算(包括算法和算法分析),物理基础(激励方式,激励频率,驱动模式),揭示了电阻抗断层成像技术的基本原理,并展示了此项技术的临床应用情况。     

头部组织三维核磁共振电阻抗成像算法的仿真研究

文章给出了一种基于核磁共振技术的三维阻抗成像（电导率分布）重构算法,并将该方法应用于人体头部组织电导率分布重构上。该代数重构方法是利用高分辨率的核磁共振成像系统对成像物体进行三维构建和不同组织的边界区分,根据核磁共振系统中测量得到的磁感应强度Bx和By分量并结合有限元数值计算得到的电流密度分布J组成非线性矩阵,通过迭代求解此非线性矩阵,来解决三维电导率分布的重构问题。在三层球头模型（包括头皮、颅骨和大脑）上分别进行的仿真实验结果表明,该算法具有较强的抗噪声能力和较好的收敛性,重构的头部电导率分布图像具有较高的精确性。     

体外循环血栓非侵入在线电阻抗成像方法

目的 在体外循环系统中,血栓的在线检测和可视化具有重要意义。本文提出了基于电阻抗成像（EIT）的体外循环血栓非侵入在线检测方法。方法 首先通过联合仿真研究了传感器尺寸对成像效果的影响。其次,根据仿真结果设计了直径为20 mm的16铜质电极EIT传感器,搭建了循环流动实验平台,并设计了静态和循环流动实验。使用尺寸为3～6 mm的猪血块代替血栓,将血块置于新鲜猪血样本中,采用Tikhonov正则化算法进行成像。将3 mm和5 mm的血块分别置于循环系统中,重建血块在传感器截面的大小和位置图像,并与高速相机拍摄结果进行对比。结果 仿真结果显示当目标物与传感器面积比（AR）不小于0.01时,传感器直径为20 mm和30 mm对应的图像相关系数（IC）均大于0.06,成像效果较好。静态成像结果显示,相对尺寸覆盖率误差（RCR）小于等于0.1。循环流动实验显示,血块经过传感器时,检测到归一化后的相对电导率变化值分别为80和200,结果显示该方法能够检测到循环系统中的血块。结论 该方法具有实时性和非侵入的优点,有望应用于体外血栓的检测。     

基于径向基函数神经网络的肺部加权频差电阻抗成像方法

目的 对肺通气过程进行床旁实时连续图像监控，是机械通气患者和临床医生的迫切需求。肺部电阻抗成像（EIT）可反映呼吸引起的胸腔电特性变化分布，在肺通气监测方面具有天然的优势。本文目的在于建立基于径向基函数神经网络（RBFNN）的肺部加权频差电阻抗成像（wfd-EIT）方法，实现对肺通气的高空间分辨率成像。方法 利用肺部wfd-EIT成像方法实时描绘胸腔电导率分布状况，再通过RBFNN将目标区域可视化并精准识别其边界信息。首先通过数值分析模拟，在各个激励频率利用COMSOL与MATLAB软件建立2 028个仿真样本，分为训练样本集和测试样本集，验证所提出成像方法的可行性和有效性。其次，为了验证仿真结果，建立肺部物理模型，选用具有低电导特性的生物组织模拟肺部通气区域，对其进行成像实验，并采用图像相关系数（ICC）和肺区域比（LRR）定量数据衡量成像方法的准确性。结果 wfd-EIT方法可以在任意时刻进行图像重建，并能够准确反映出目标区域的电特性分布；利用基于RBFNN的算法能够增强目标区域的成像精度，ICC可达0.94以上，更好地凸显其边界轮廓信息。结论 通过wfd-EIT成像方法，利用多频阻抗谱同步测量实现目标区域的快速可视化，并结合RBFNN网络逼近任意非线性函数的优点，实现对目标区域电特性变化的精准识别，为下一步进行临床肺通气的EIT图像监测奠定了理论和技术基础。     

电子断层成像技术及其在细胞生物学中的应用

电子断层成像技术（electrontomography）是近年来发展起来一项三维成像技术,可以在纳米分辨率（2-10nm）水平上获得生物大分子及其复合物或聚集体、细胞器、细胞以及组织的三维结构,而且可以用于研究生物大分子在细胞中的定位、排列、分布以及相互作用,已逐渐成为细胞生物学领域中的一项重要技术手段。该文针对这项技术及其在细胞生物学中的应用作一简要介绍。     

冷冻电子断层成像技术及其在生物研究领域的应用

冷冻电子断层成像可以在纳米级尺度上研究那些结构不具有均一性的分子、病毒、细胞器以及它们之间组成的复合体的三维结构。在过去的十年中,电子显微镜硬件、冷冻制样设备和技术,以及自动化断层数据收集方法的进步使得本研究领域得到快速发展。本文对冷冻电子断层成像的方法,包括基本原理、样品制备、断层数据采集和图像处理、三维重构以及重建信息的理解和展示、近年来在生物样品领域的一些典型应用以及前景作一简单介绍。     

电阻抗技术在银杏树干健康评估中的应用研究

为评估银杏行道树树干健康程度,降低树干断折倒伏风险,本研究采用PiCUS Tree Tronic树木电阻抗断层成像仪分别对健康、干旱、腐烂银杏树干进行检测,并与树干的目测结果进行比较.树干的断层扫描结果显示,健康树干的电阻率为中间高四周低,中部电阻率达1 000Ω·m,四周电阻率约300Ω·m;干旱的银杏树干整体呈现高电阻率,平均电阻率达1 000Ω·m以上;腐烂树干的电阻率差异与腐烂区域相关,腐烂面积占比普遍高于目测结果,说明电阻抗技术能够更准确地探测树干内部的健康状况,该结果可为银杏树干健康评估提供指导.     

测定植物抗寒性的电阻抗图谱法

电阻抗图谱(electrical impedance spectroscopy,EIS)分析作为测定植物抗寒性的一种方法,在农业、林业和园艺领域的应用正在不断扩大。该文从EIS的原理入手,讨论了影响电阻抗特性的生理和物理因子;介绍了测定EIS适用的模型;阐述了用EIS测定抗寒性的方法。在EIS分析中,胞外电阻率(re)是确定抗寒性最适用的一个参数,弛豫时间(τ1)是精确度最高的参数。     

x线断层容积成像技术在肺动脉畸形中的应用

目的：通过与常规x线胸片比较,探讨胸部x线断层容积成像技术在肺动脉畸形中的应用价值。方法：对20例临床及x线平片怀疑肺动脉畸形者,进一步进行胸部x线断层容积成像检查。其中11例被明确诊断为肺动脉畸形。以CT或超声心动结果为标准,对比两种图像对肺动脉畸形的明确诊断率,分析对比该11例患者的胸部x线断层容积成像图片和普通x线胸片,评价两种方法所获得的图像质量和图片优秀率。结果：20例疑似患者中,11例被CT或超声心动确诊为肺动脉畸形,其x线断层容积成像图片和普通x线胸片经主管技师和副主任医师双盲判读,x线断层容积成像11例均获明确诊断（100％）,普通x线胸片明确诊断2例（18％）,诊断准确率有明显差异（P=0．O001）。容积断层成像优质图像为10例,占总数的90．91％;良好1例,差为0例。11例x片中优秀7例,占总数的63．63％,其中良好3例,差1例。两种图像优秀率比较差异有统计学意义（P=0．0001）。结论：x线断层容积成像技术对肺动脉畸形的图像优秀率和诊断准确率均高于x线平片,对病变的显示更加清晰、立体,提高诊断准确率和客观性,具有重要的临床诊断价值。     

Electrical Impedance Tomography of Electrolysis

The primary goal of this study is to explore the hypothesis that changes in pH during electrolysis can be detected with Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). The study has relevance to real time control of minimally invasive surgery with electrolytic ablation. To investigate the hypothesis, we compare EIT reconstructed images to optical images acquired using pH-sensitive dyes embedded in a physiological saline agar gel phantom treated with electrolysis. We further demonstrate the biological relevance of our work using a bacterial E.Coli model, grown on the phantom. The results demonstrate the ability of EIT to image pH changes in a physiological saline phantom and show that these changes correlate with cell death in the E.coli model. The results are promising, and invite further experimental explorations.     

一种新的电阻抗成像算法——直接寻找法

提出一种可以用于电阻抗成像中的直接寻找法,它是建立在一些先验知识的基础上,定位阻抗突变区域并求解其阻抗。仿真的结果表明该方法可以有效的定位阻抗突变区域,并可求得其阻抗值。     

Analysis of parametric estimation of head tissue conductivities using Electrical Impedance Tomography

We study the theoretical performance of using Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) to measure the conductivity of the main tissues of the head. The governing equations are solved using the Finite Element Method for realistically shaped head models with isotropic and anisotropic electrical conductivities. We focus on the Electroencephalography (EEG) signal frequency range since EEG source localization is the assumed application. We obtain the Cramér-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) to find the minimum conductivity estimation error expected with EIT measurements. The more convenient electrode pairs selected for current injection from a typical EEG array are determined from the CRLB. Moreover, using simulated data, the Maximum Likelihood Estimator of the conductivity parameters is shown to be close to the CRLB for a relatively low number of measurements. The results support the idea of using EIT as a low-cost and practical tool for individually measure the conductivity of the head tissues, and to use them when solving the EEG source localization. Even when the conductivity of the soft tissues of the head is available from Diffusion Tensor Imaging, EIT can complement the electrical model with the estimation of the skull and scalp conductivities.     

Use of Electrical Impedance Tomography to Monitor Regional Cerebral Edema during Clinical Dehydration Treatment

Objective

Variations of conductive fluid content in brain tissue (e.g. cerebral edema) change tissue impedance and can potentially be measured by Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), an emerging medical imaging technique. The objective of this work is to establish the feasibility of using EIT as an imaging tool for monitoring brain fluid content.

Design

a prospective study.

Setting

In this study EIT was used, for the first time, to monitor variations in cerebral fluid content in a clinical model with patients undergoing clinical dehydration treatment. The EIT system was developed in house and its imaging sensitivity and spatial resolution were evaluated on a saline-filled tank.

Patients

23 patients with brain edema.

Interventions

The patients were continuously imaged by EIT for two hours after initiation of dehydration treatment using 0.5 g/kg intravenous infusion of mannitol for 20 minutes.

Measurement and Main Results

Overall impedance across the brain increased significantly before and after mannitol dehydration treatment (p = 0.0027). Of the all 23 patients, 14 showed high-level impedance increase and maintained this around 4 hours after the dehydration treatment whereas the other 9 also showed great impedance gain during the treatment but it gradually decreased after the treatment. Further analysis of the regions of interest in the EIT images revealed that diseased regions, identified on corresponding CT images, showed significantly less impedance changes than normal regions during the monitoring period, indicating variations in different patients'' responses to such treatment.

Conclusions

EIT shows potential promise as an imaging tool for real-time and non-invasive monitoring of brain edema patients.     

Functional Regions of Interest in Electrical Impedance Tomography: A Secondary Analysis of Two Clinical Studies

Introduction

Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) typically show a high degree of ventilation inhomogeneity, which is associated with morbidity and unfavorable outcomes. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is able to detect ventilation inhomogeneity, but it is unclear which method for defining the region of interest (ROI) should be used for this purpose. The aim of our study was to compare the functional region of interest (fROI) method to both the lung area estimation method (LAEM) and no ROI when analysing global parameters of ventilation inhomogeneity. We assumed that a good method for ROI determination would lead to a high discriminatory power for ventilation inhomogeneity, as defined by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), comparing patients suffering from ARDS and control patients without pulmonary pathologies.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed EIT data from 24 ARDS patients and 12 control patients without pulmonary pathology. In all patients, a standardized low-flow-pressure volume maneuver had been performed and was used for EIT image generation. We compared the AUC for global inhomogeneity (GI) index and coefficient of variation (CV) between ARDS and control patients using all EIT image pixels, the fROI method and the LAEM for ROI determination.

Results

When analysing all EIT image pixels, we found an acceptable AUC both for the GI index (AUC = 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58–0.94) and the CV (AUC = 0.74; 95% CI 0.55–0.92). With the fROI method, we found a deteriorating AUC with increasing threshold criteria. With the LAEM, we found the best AUC both for the GI index (AUC = 0.89; 95% CI 0.78–1.0) and the CV (AUC = 0.89; 95% CI 0.78–1.0) using a threshold criterion of 50% of the maximum tidal impedance change.

Conclusion

In the assessment of ventilation inhomogeneity with EIT, functional regions of interest obscure the difference between patients with ARDS and control patients without pulmonary pathologies. The LAEM is preferable to the fROI method when assessing ventilation inhomogeneity.     

Electrical Impedance of Isolated Amnion

The electrical impedance of the guinea pig amniotic membrane was measured, under standardized conditions, over the frequency range of 20 to 7000 cycles/second. This impedance can be represented analytically by a simple frequency-dependent function which is precisely of the form of the Debye relaxation equation. The observed data exhibit a broad dispersion centered at a frequency of 1050 cycles/second and a narrow distribution of time constants centered about 152 microseconds, both effects being due to the polydisperse nature of amniotic tissue. If the narrow time-constant distribution is approximated by a single time constant, amnion impedance can be simulated by a simple electrical circuit of frequency-independent elements. The Maxwell-Wagner interfacial treatment, although successfully adapted for cell suspensions, is shown to lose its quantitative significance in the case of the tightly structured amnion. In addition, determinations were made on the chemical composition of amniotic fluid, fetal blood and urine, and maternal blood and urine; the DC potential across the amniotic membrane was also measured.