Effectiveness of individualized lung recruitment strategies at birth: an experimental study in preterm lambs.

Respiratory transition at birth involves rapidly clearing fetal lung liquid and preventing efflux back into the lung while aeration is established. We have developed a sustained inflation (SIOPT) individualized to volume response and a dynamic tidal positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) (open lung volume, OLV) strategy that both enhance this process. We aimed to compare the effect of each with a group managed with PEEP of 8 cmH2O and no recruitment maneuver (No-RM), on gas exchange, lung mechanics, spatiotemporal aeration, and lung injury in 127 ± 1 day preterm lambs. Forty-eight fetal-instrumented lambs exposed to antenatal steroids were ventilated for 60 min after application of the allocated strategy. Spatiotemporal aeration and lung mechanics were measured with electrical impedance tomography and forced-oscillation, respectively. At study completion, molecular and histological markers of lung injury were analyzed. Mean (SD) aeration at the end of the SIOPT and OLV groups was 32 (22) and 38 (15) ml/kg, compared with 17 (10) ml/kg (180 s) in the No-RM (P = 0.024, 1-way ANOVA). This translated into better oxygenation at 60 min (P = 0.047; 2-way ANOVA) resulting from better distal lung tissue aeration in SIOPT and OLV. There was no difference in lung injury. Neither SIOPT nor OLV achieved homogeneous aeration. Histological injury and mRNA biomarker upregulation were more likely in the regions with better initial aeration, suggesting volutrauma. Tidal ventilation or an SI achieves similar aeration if optimized, suggesting that preventing fluid efflux after lung liquid clearance is at least as important as fluid clearance during the initial inflation at birth.

Chest electrical impedance tomography examination, data analysis, terminology, clinical use and recommendations: consensus statement of the TRanslational EIT developmeNt stuDy group.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has undergone 30 years of development. Functional chest examinations with this technology are considered clinically relevant, especially for monitoring regional lung ventilation in mechanically ventilated patients and for regional pulmonary function testing in patients with chronic lung diseases. As EIT becomes an established medical technology, it requires consensus examination, nomenclature, data analysis and interpretation schemes. Such consensus is needed to compare, understand and reproduce study findings from and among different research groups, to enable large clinical trials and, ultimately, routine clinical use. Recommendations of how EIT findings can be applied to generate diagnoses and impact clinical decision-making and therapy planning are required. This consensus paper was prepared by an international working group, collaborating on the clinical promotion of EIT called TRanslational EIT developmeNt stuDy group. It addresses the stated needs by providing (1) a new classification of core processes involved in chest EIT examinations and data analysis, (2) focus on clinical applications with structured reviews and outlooks (separately for adult and neonatal/paediatric patients), (3) a structured framework to categorise and understand the relationships among analysis approaches and their clinical roles, (4) consensus, unified terminology with clinical user-friendly definitions and explanations, (5) a review of all major work in thoracic EIT and (6) recommendations for future development (193 pages of online supplements systematically linked with the chief sections of the main document). We expect this information to be useful for clinicians and researchers working with EIT, as well as for industry producers of this technology.

Spectral and temporal multiplexing for multispectral fluorescence and reflectance imaging using two color sensors.

Fluorescence imaging can reveal functional, anatomical or pathological features of high interest in medical interventions. We present a novel method to record and display in video rate multispectral color and fluorescence images over the visible and near infrared range. The fast acquisition in multiple channels is achieved through a combination of spectral and temporal multiplexing in a system with two standard color sensors. Accurate color reproduction and high fluorescence unmixing performance are experimentally demonstrated with a prototype system in a challenging imaging scenario. Through spectral simulation and optimization we show that the system is sensitive to all dyes emitting in the visible and near infrared region without changing filters and that the SNR of multiple unmixed components can be kept high if parameters are chosen well. We propose a sensitive per-pixel metric of unmixing quality in a single image based on noise propagation and present a method to visualize the high-dimensional data in a 2D graph, where up to three fluorescent components can be distinguished and segmented.

Spatiotemporal Aeration and Lung Injury Patterns Are Influenced by the First Inflation Strategy at Birth.

Ineffective aeration during the first inflations at birth creates regional aeration and ventilation defects, initiating injurious pathways. This study aimed to compare a sustained first inflation at birth or dynamic end-expiratory supported recruitment during tidal inflations against ventilation without intentional recruitment on gas exchange, lung mechanics, spatiotemporal regional aeration and tidal ventilation, and regional lung injury in preterm lambs. Lambs (127 ± 2 d gestation), instrumented at birth, were ventilated for 60 minutes from birth with either lung-protective positive pressure ventilation (control) or as per control after either an initial 30 seconds of 40 cm H2O sustained inflation (SI) or an initial stepwise end-expiratory pressure recruitment maneuver during tidal inflations (duration 180 s; open lung ventilation [OLV]). At study completion, molecular markers of lung injury were analyzed. The initial use of an OLV maneuver, but not SI, at birth resulted in improved lung compliance, oxygenation, end-expiratory lung volume, and reduced ventilatory needs compared with control, persisting throughout the study. These changes were due to more uniform inter- and intrasubject gravity-dependent spatiotemporal patterns of aeration (measured using electrical impedance tomography). Spatial distribution of tidal ventilation was more stable after either recruitment maneuver. All strategies caused regional lung injury patterns that mirrored associated regional volume states. Irrespective of strategy, spatiotemporal volume loss was consistently associated with up-regulation of early growth response-1 expression. Our results show that mechanical and molecular consequences of lung aeration at birth are not simply related to rapidity of fluid clearance; they are also related to spatiotemporal pressure-volume interactions within the lung during inflation and deflation.

Simultaneous real-time multicomponent fluorescence and reflectance imaging method for fluorescence-guided surgery.

Fluorescence-guided surgical procedures are employed in an increasing number of applications such as tumor delineation, blood perfusion, and sentinel lymph node detection. A new generation of fluorescent probes is expected to increase the number of applications and improve efficiency. Yet, there are no available imaging methods to take full advantage of the forthcoming targeting technologies. We present a novel concept for imaging multiple agents for fluorescence-guided surgery. The system operates without any moving parts and can resolve images of three different fluorochromes while simultaneously recording conventional reflectance images.

An individualized approach to sustained inflation duration at birth improves outcomes in newborn preterm lambs.

A sustained first inflation (SI) at birth may aid lung liquid clearance and aeration, but the impact of SI duration relative to the volume-response of the lung is poorly understood. We compared three SI strategies: 1) variable duration defined by attaining volume equilibrium using real-time electrical impedance tomography (EIT; SIplat); 2) 30 s beyond equilibrium (SIlong); 3) short 30-s SI (SI30); and 4) positive pressure ventilation without SI (no-SI) on spatiotemporal aeration and ventilation (EIT), gas exchange, lung mechanics, and regional early markers of injury in preterm lambs. Fifty-nine fetal-instrumented lambs were ventilated for 60 min after applying the allocated first inflation strategy. At study completion molecular and histological markers of lung injury were analyzed. The time to SI volume equilibrium, and resultant volume, were highly variable; mean (SD) 55 (34) s, coefficient of variability 59%. SIplat and SIlong resulted in better lung mechanics, gas exchange and lower ventilator settings than both no-SI and SI30. At 60 min, alveolar-arterial difference in oxygen was a mean (95% confidence interval) 130 (13, 249) higher in SI30 vs. SIlong group (two-way ANOVA). These differences were due to better spatiotemporal aeration and tidal ventilation, although all groups showed redistribution of aeration towards the nondependent lung by 60 min. Histological lung injury scores mirrored spatiotemporal change in aeration and were greatest in SI30 group (P < 0.01, Kruskal-Wallis test). An individualized volume-response approach to SI was effective in optimizing aeration, homogeneous tidal ventilation, and respiratory outcomes, while an inadequate SI duration had no benefit over positive pressure ventilation alone.

Ex vivo validation of a real-time multispectral endoscopic system for the detection and biopsy of bladder tumors.

BACKGROUND: Real-time multispectral imaging (rMSI) simultaneously provides white light (WL), photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) images, and a real-time fusion of both. It may improve the detection of bladder tumors. However, rMSI has not been used for transurethral biopsy or resection so far. The aim of this ex vivo study was to test the feasibility of bladder tumor biopsies using the rMSI system and compare it to a conventional endoscopic system. METHODS: A 3D printed rigid bladder phantom was equipped with small and flat (5 mm × 1 mm) mock-bladder-tumors made of silicone and fluorescent Qdots655 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Germany). Urologists (n=15) were asked to perform a rigid cystoscopy and biopsy of all identified lesions (n=6) using a prototype rMSI system and the Image1 S system (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen). Success rate and completion time were measured. The image quality of both systems and the usability of the rMSI system according to the system usability scale (SUS) were evaluated with a task-specific questionnaire. RESULTS: Tumor detection and biopsy rate were 100% (90/90) for the rMSI system and 98.9% (89/90) for the Image1 S system (P=0.3). The biopsy completion time did not differ significantly between the systems (P=0.48). Differentiation between healthy and suspect mucosa with the rMSI system was rated as comparable to the Image1 S system by 53% of surgeons and as better by 33% of the surgeons. The median SUS score for the rMSI system was 87.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Accurate transurethral biopsies are feasible with the rMSI system. Furthermore, the rMSI system has an excellent SUS. This study paves the way to the first in-human transurethral resections of bladder tumors (TUR-B) using rMSI technology.

Regional lung volume changes during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate regional lung volume changes occurring during an inflation-deflation maneuver using high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. DESIGN: Prospective animal trial. SETTING: Animal research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Six Yorkshire swine. INTERVENTIONS: Electrical impedance tomography was used to quantify regional ventilation during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. The electrical impedance tomography-derived center of ventilation was used to describe the distribution of regional ventilation, whereas spectral analysis was used to describe regional ventilation-induced impedance changes. Lung injury was induced using surfactant lavage. Animals were transitioned to high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and a slow inflation-deflation maneuver was performed by changing mean airway pressure by 5 cm H2O every 15 mins to a maximum mean airway pressure of 40 cm H2O. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The induction of lung injury was associated with a significant shift of the center of ventilation toward nondependent areas and an increase in shunt fraction (p < .001). During the following inflation-deflation maneuver using high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, inflation was associated with a shift of the center of ventilation from nondependent to dependent areas. Center of ventilation was significantly correlated with the shunt fraction (p < .001). Analyzing different lung layers along the gravitational axis separately, nondependent lung areas showed significantly decreased regional ventilation-induced impedance changes at higher pressures, suggesting overdistension, whereas dependent lung areas showed increased impedance changes, suggesting recruitment. The reverse was observed during deflation (all p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The center of ventilation during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation correlated with oxygenating efficiency as measured by the shunt fraction. Lung recruitment during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation produced a significant shift of regional ventilation toward dependent areas of the lung and led to overdistension of nondependent areas.

Multiparametric Cystoscopy for Detection of Bladder Cancer Using Real-time Multispectral Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Various imaging modalities can be used in addition to white light (WL) to improve detection of bladder cancer (BC). OBJECTIVE: To use real-time multispectral imaging (rMSI) during urethrocystoscopy to combine different imaging modalities to achieve multiparametric cystoscopy (MPC). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The rMSI system consisted of a camera with a spectral filter, a multi-LED light source, a microcontroller, and a computer for display and data acquisition. MSI with this system was achieved via temporal multiplexing. SURGICAL PROCEDURE: MPC was performed in ten patients with a diagnosed bladder tumor. MEASUREMENTS: We gathered evidence to prove the feasibility of our approach. In addition, experienced urologists performed post-interventional evaluation of images of individual lesions. Images were independently rated in a semiquantitative manner for each modality. A statistical model was built for pairwise comparisons across modalities. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Overall, 31 lesions were detected using the rMSI set-up. Histopathology revealed malignancy in 27 lesions. All lesions could be visualized simultaneously in five modalities: WL, enhanced vascular contrast (EVC), blue light fluorescence, protoporphyrin IX fluorescence, and autofluorescence. EVC and photodynamic diagnosis images were merged in real time into one MP image. Using the recorded images, two observers identified all malignant lesions via MPC, whereas the single modalities did not arouse substantial suspicion for some lesions. The MP images of malignant lesions were rated significantly more suspicious than the images from single imaging modalities. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated for the first time the application of rMSI in endourology and we established MPC for detection of BC. This approach allows existing imaging modalities to be combined, and it may significantly improve the detection of bladder cancer. PATIENT SUMMARY: Real-time multispectral imaging was successfully used to combine different imaging aids for more comprehensive illustration of bladder tumors for surgeons. In the future, this technique may allow better detection of bladder tumors and more complete endoscopic resection in cases of cancer.

Differences in regional pulmonary pressure-impedance curves before and after lung injury assessed with a novel algorithm.

Global pressure-volume (PV) curves are an adjunct measure to describe lung characteristics in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). There is convincing evidence that high peak inspiratory pressures (PIP) cause barotrauma, while optimized positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) helps avoid mechanical injury to the lungs by preventing repeated alveolar opening and closing. The optimal values of PIP and PEEP are deduced from the shape of the PV curve by the identification of so-called lower and upper inflection points. However, it has been demonstrated using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) that the inflection points vary across the lung. This study employs a simple curve-fitting technique to automatically define inflection points on both pressure-volume (PV) and pressure-impedance (PI) curves to asses the differences between global PV and regional PI estimates in animals before and after induced lung injury. The results demonstrate a clear increase in lower inflection point (LIP) along the gravitational axis both before and after lung injury. Moreover, it is clear from comparison of the local EIT-derived LIPs with those derived from global PV curves that a ventilation strategy based on the PV curve alone may leave dependent areas of the lung collapsed. EIT-based PI curve analysis may help choosing an optimal ventilation strategy.

GREIT: a unified approach to 2D linear EIT reconstruction of lung images.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an attractive method for clinically monitoring patients during mechanical ventilation, because it can provide a non-invasive continuous image of pulmonary impedance which indicates the distribution of ventilation. However, most clinical and physiological research in lung EIT is done using older and proprietary algorithms; this is an obstacle to interpretation of EIT images because the reconstructed images are not well characterized. To address this issue, we develop a consensus linear reconstruction algorithm for lung EIT, called GREIT (Graz consensus Reconstruction algorithm for EIT). This paper describes the unified approach to linear image reconstruction developed for GREIT. The framework for the linear reconstruction algorithm consists of (1) detailed finite element models of a representative adult and neonatal thorax, (2) consensus on the performance figures of merit for EIT image reconstruction and (3) a systematic approach to optimize a linear reconstruction matrix to desired performance measures. Consensus figures of merit, in order of importance, are (a) uniform amplitude response, (b) small and uniform position error, (c) small ringing artefacts, (d) uniform resolution, (e) limited shape deformation and (f) high resolution. Such figures of merit must be attained while maintaining small noise amplification and small sensitivity to electrode and boundary movement. This approach represents the consensus of a large and representative group of experts in EIT algorithm design and clinical applications for pulmonary monitoring. All software and data to implement and test the algorithm have been made available under an open source license which allows free research and commercial use.

Thoracic EIT in 3D: experiences and recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: In EIT applications to the thorax, a single electrode plane has typically been used to reconstruct a transverse 2D 'slice'. However, such images can be misleading as EIT is sensitive to contrasts above and below the electrode plane, and ventilation and aeration inhomogeneities can be distributed in complex ways. Using two (or more) electrode planes, 3D EIT images may be reconstructed, but 3D reconstructions are currently little used in thoracic EIT. In this paper, we investigate an incremental pathway towards 3D EIT reconstructions, using two electrode planes to calculate improved transverse slices as an intermediate step. We recommend a specific placement of electrode planes, and further demonstrate the feasibility of multi-slice reconstruction in two species. APPROACH: Simulations of the forward and reconstructed sensitivities were analysed for two electrode planes using a 'square' pattern of electrode placement as a function of two variables: the stimulation and measurement 'skip', and the electrode plane separation. Next, single- versus two-plane measurements were compared in a horse and in human volunteers. We further show the feasibility of 3D reconstructions by reconstructing multiple transverse and, unusually, frontal slices during ventilation. MAIN RESULTS: Using two electrode planes leads to a reduced position error and improvement in off-plane contrast rejection. 2D reconstructions from two-plane measurements showed better separation of lungs, as compared to the single plane measurements which tend to push contrasts in the center of the image. 3D reconstructions of the same data show anatomically plausible images, inside as well as outside the volume between the two electrode planes. SIGNIFICANCE: Based on the results, we recommend EIT electrode planes separated by less than half of the minimum thoracic dimension with a 'skip 4' pattern and 'square' placement to produce images with good slice selectivity.

3D EIT image reconstruction with GREIT.

Most applications of thoracic EIT use a single plane of electrodes on the chest from which a transverse image 'slice' is calculated. However, interpretation of EIT images is made difficult by the large region above and below the electrode plane to which EIT is sensitive. Volumetric EIT images using two (or more) electrode planes should help compensate, but are little used currently. The Graz consensus reconstruction algorithm for EIT (GREIT) has become popular in lung EIT. One shortcoming of the original formulation of GREIT is its restriction to reconstruction onto a 2D planar image. We present an extension of the GREIT algorithm to 3D and develop open-source tools to evaluate its performance as a function of the choice of stimulation and measurement pattern. Results show 3D GREIT using two electrode layers has significantly more uniform sensitivity profiles through the chest region. Overall, the advantages of 3D EIT are compelling.

A comparison framework for temporal image reconstructions in electrical impedance tomography.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) provides low-resolution images of internal conductivity distributions, but is able to achieve relatively high temporal resolutions. Most EIT image reconstruction algorithms do not explicitly account for the temporal constraints on the measurements or physiological processes under investigation. Instead, algorithms typically assume both that the conductivity distribution does not change during the acquisition of each EIT data frame, and that frames can be reconstructed independently, without consideration of the correlation between images. A failure to account for these temporal effects will result in aliasing-related artefacts in images. Several methods have been proposed to compensate for these effects, including interpolation of raw data, and reconstruction algorithms using Kalman and temporal filtering. However, no systematic work has been performed to understand the severity of the temporal artefacts nor the extent to which algorithms can account for them. We seek to address this need by developing a temporal comparison framework and figures of merit to assess the ability of reconstruction algorithms to account for temporal effects. Using this approach, we compare combinations of three reconstruction algorithms using three EIT data frame types: perfect, realistic and interpolated. The results show that, without accounting for temporal effects, artefacts are present in images for dynamic conductivity contrasts at frequencies 10-20 times slower than the frame rate. The proposed methods show some improvements in reducing these artefacts.

Influence of heart motion on cardiac output estimation by means of electrical impedance tomography: a case study.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive imaging technique that can measure cardiac-related intra-thoracic impedance changes. EIT-based cardiac output estimation relies on the assumption that the amplitude of the impedance change in the ventricular region is representative of stroke volume (SV). However, other factors such as heart motion can significantly affect this ventricular impedance change. In the present case study, a magnetic resonance imaging-based dynamic bio-impedance model fitting the morphology of a single male subject was built. Simulations were performed to evaluate the contribution of heart motion and its influence on EIT-based SV estimation. Myocardial deformation was found to be the main contributor to the ventricular impedance change (56%). However, motion-induced impedance changes showed a strong correlation (r = 0.978) with left ventricular volume. We explained this by the quasi-incompressibility of blood and myocardium. As a result, EIT achieved excellent accuracy in estimating a wide range of simulated SV values (error distribution of 0.57 ± 2.19 ml (1.02 ± 2.62%) and correlation of r = 0.996 after a two-point calibration was applied to convert impedance values to millilitres). As the model was based on one single subject, the strong correlation found between motion-induced changes and ventricular volume remains to be verified in larger datasets.

Aortic blood pressure measured via EIT: investigation of different measurement settings.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) allows the measurement of intra-thoracic impedance changes related to cardiovascular activity. As a safe and low-cost imaging modality, EIT is an appealing candidate for non-invasive and continuous haemodynamic monitoring. EIT has recently been shown to allow the assessment of aortic blood pressure via the estimation of the aortic pulse arrival time (PAT). However, finding the aortic signal within EIT image sequences is a challenging task: the signal has a small amplitude and is difficult to locate due to the small size of the aorta and the inherent low spatial resolution of EIT. In order to most reliably detect the aortic signal, our objective was to understand the effect of EIT measurement settings (electrode belt placement, reconstruction algorithm). This paper investigates the influence of three transversal belt placements and two commonly-used difference reconstruction algorithms (Gauss-Newton and GREIT) on the measurement of aortic signals in view of aortic blood pressure estimation via EIT. A magnetic resonance imaging based three-dimensional finite element model of the haemodynamic bio-impedance properties of the human thorax was created. Two simulation experiments were performed with the aim to (1) evaluate the timing error in aortic PAT estimation and (2) quantify the strength of the aortic signal in each pixel of the EIT image sequences. Both experiments reveal better performance for images reconstructed with Gauss-Newton (with a noise figure of 0.5 or above) and a belt placement at the height of the heart or higher. According to the noise-free scenarios simulated, the uncertainty in the analysis of the aortic EIT signal is expected to induce blood pressure errors of at least ± 1.4 mmHg.

Choice of reconstructed tissue properties affects interpretation of lung EIT images.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) estimates an image of change in electrical properties within a body from stimulations and measurements at surface electrodes. There is significant interest in EIT as a tool to monitor and guide ventilation therapy in mechanically ventilated patients. In lung EIT, the EIT inverse problem is commonly linearized and only changes in electrical properties are reconstructed. Early algorithms reconstructed changes in resistivity, while most recent work using the finite element method reconstructs conductivity. Recently, we demonstrated that EIT images of ventilation can be misleading if the electrical contrasts within the thorax are not taken into account during the image reconstruction process. In this paper, we explore the effect of the choice of the reconstructed electrical properties (resistivity or conductivity) on the resulting EIT images. We show in simulation and experimental data that EIT images reconstructed with the same algorithm but with different parametrizations lead to large and clinically significant differences in the resulting images, which persist even after attempts to eliminate the impact of the parameter choice by recovering volume changes from the EIT images. Since there is no consensus among the most popular reconstruction algorithms and devices regarding the parametrization, this finding has implications for potential clinical use of EIT. We propose a program of research to develop reconstruction techniques that account for both the relationship between air volume and electrical properties of the lung and artefacts introduced by the linearization.

Functional validation and comparison framework for EIT lung imaging.

INTRODUCTION: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is an emerging clinical tool for monitoring ventilation distribution in mechanically ventilated patients, for which many image reconstruction algorithms have been suggested. We propose an experimental framework to assess such algorithms with respect to their ability to correctly represent well-defined physiological changes. We defined a set of clinically relevant ventilation conditions and induced them experimentally in 8 pigs by controlling three ventilator settings (tidal volume, positive end-expiratory pressure and the fraction of inspired oxygen). In this way, large and discrete shifts in global and regional lung air content were elicited. METHODS: We use the framework to compare twelve 2D EIT reconstruction algorithms, including backprojection (the original and still most frequently used algorithm), GREIT (a more recent consensus algorithm for lung imaging), truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD), several variants of the one-step Gauss-Newton approach and two iterative algorithms. We consider the effects of using a 3D finite element model, assuming non-uniform background conductivity, noise modeling, reconstructing for electrode movement, total variation (TV) reconstruction, robust error norms, smoothing priors, and using difference vs. normalized difference data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that, while variation in appearance of images reconstructed from the same data is not negligible, clinically relevant parameters do not vary considerably among the advanced algorithms. Among the analysed algorithms, several advanced algorithms perform well, while some others are significantly worse. Given its vintage and ad-hoc formulation backprojection works surprisingly well, supporting the validity of previous studies in lung EIT.

FEM electrode refinement for electrical impedance tomography.

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) reconstructs images of electrical tissue properties within a body from electrical transfer impedance measurements at surface electrodes. Reconstruction of EIT images requires the solution of an inverse problem in soft field tomography, where a sensitivity matrix, J, of the relationship between internal changes and measurements is calculated, and then a pseudo-inverse of J is used to update the image estimate. It is therefore clear that a precise calculation of J is required for solution accuracy. Since it is generally not possible to use analytic solutions, the finite element method (FEM) is typically used. It has generally been recommended in the EIT literature that FEMs be refined near electrodes, since the electric field and sensitivity is largest there. In this paper we analyze the accuracy requirement for FEM refinement near electrodes in EIT and describe a technique to refine arbitrary FEMs.

Uniform background assumption produces misleading lung EIT images.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) estimates an image of conductivity change within a body from stimulation and measurement at body surface electrodes. There is significant interest in EIT for imaging the thorax, as a monitoring tool for lung ventilation. To be useful in this application, we require an understanding of if and when EIT images can produce inaccurate images. In this paper, we study the consequences of the homogeneous background assumption, frequently made in linear image reconstruction, which introduces a mismatch between the reference measurement and the linearization point. We show in simulation and experimental data that the resulting images may contain large and clinically significant errors. A 3D finite element model of thorax conductivity is used to simulate EIT measurements for different heart and lung conductivity, size and position, as well as different amounts of gravitational collapse and ventilation-associated conductivity change. Three common linear EIT reconstruction algorithms are studied. We find that the asymmetric position of the heart can cause EIT images of ventilation to show up to 60% undue bias towards the left lung and that the effect is particularly strong for a ventilation distribution typical of mechanically ventilated patients. The conductivity gradient associated with gravitational lung collapse causes conductivity changes in non-dependent lung to be overestimated by up to 100% with respect to the dependent lung. Eliminating the mismatch by using a realistic conductivity distribution in the forward model of the reconstruction algorithm strongly reduces these undesirable effects. We conclude that subject-specific anatomically accurate forward models should be used in lung EIT and extra care is required when analysing EIT images of subjects whose background conductivity distribution in the lungs is known to be heterogeneous or exhibiting large changes.