High-frequency electrical properties tomography at 9.4T as a novel contrast mechanism for brain tumors.

PURPOSE: To establish high-frequency magnetic resonance electrical properties tomography (MREPT) as a novel contrast mechanism for the assessment of glioblastomas using a rat brain tumor model. METHODS: Six F98 intracranial tumor bearing rats were imaged longitudinally 8, 11 and 14 days after tumor cell inoculation. Conductivity and mean diffusivity maps were generated using MREPT and Diffusion Tensor Imaging. These maps were co-registered with T2 -weighted images and volumes of interests (VOIs) were segmented from the normal brain, ventricles, edema, viable tumor, tumor rim, and tumor core regions. Longitudinal changes in conductivity and mean diffusivity (MD) values were compared in these regions. A correlation analysis was also performed between conductivity and mean diffusivity values. RESULTS: The conductivity of ventricles, edematous area and tumor regions (tumor rim, viable tumor, tumor core) was significantly higher (P < .01) compared to the contralateral cortex. The conductivity of the tumor increased over time while MD from the tumor did not change. A marginal positive correlation was noted between conductivity and MD values for tumor rim and viable tumor, whereas this correlation was negative for the tumor core. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate a novel contrast mechanism based on ionic concentration and mobility, which may aid in providing complementary information to water diffusion in probing the microenvironment of brain tumors.

MR-Based Electrical Conductivity Imaging of Liver Fibrosis in an Experimental Rat Model.

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis is characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins. Electrical conductivity imaging at low frequency can provide novel contrast because the contrast mechanisms originate from the changes in the concentration and mobility of ions in the extracellular space. PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of an MR-based electrical conductivity imaging that can detect the changes in a tissue condition associated with the progression of liver fibrosis. STUDY TYPE: Prospective phantom and animal study. ANIMAL MODEL: Fibrosis was induced by weekly intraperitoneal injection of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in 45 male Sprague-Dawley rats. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3T MRI with a multispin-echo pulse sequence. ASSESSMENT: The percentage change of conductivity (Δσ, %) in the same region-of-interest (ROI) was calculated from the DMN-treated rats based on the values of the normal control rats. The percentage change was also calculated between the ROIs in each DMN-treated group. STATISTICAL TESTS: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a two-sample t-test were performed. RESULTS: Liver tissues in normal control rats showed a uniform conductivity distribution of 56.6 ± 4.4 (mS/m). In rats more than 5 weeks after induction, the fibrous region showed an increased conductivity of ≥12% compared to that of the corresponding normal control rats. From regional comparisons in the same liver, the fibrous region showed an increased conductivity of ≥11% compared to the opposite, less induced region of rats more than 5 weeks after induction. Liver samples from the fibrous region represent tissue damages such as diffuse centrilobular congestion with marked dilatation of central veins from the histological findings. Immunohistochemistry revealed significant levels of attenuated fibrosis and increased inflammatory response. DATA CONCLUSION: The increased conductivity in the fibrous region is related to the changes of the extracellular space. The correlation between the collagen deposition and conductivity changes is essential for future clinical studies. Level of Evidence 2 Technical Efficacy Stage 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2021;53:554-563.

Tidal volume and stroke volume changes caused by respiratory events during sleep and their relationship with OSA severity: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: Breath-by-breath tidal volume (TV) and beat-by-beat stroke volume (SV) were continuously measured in patients with OSA undergoing polysomnography (PSG). The objectives were to (1) determine the changes in TV/SV in response to respiratory events and (2) assess the relationship between these changes and the disease severity. METHODS: From the PSG data of nine patients with OSA, six different types of respiratory events were identified, i.e., flow limitation (FL), respiratory effort related arousal (RERA), hypopnea with arousal only (Ha), hypopnea with desaturation only (Hd), hypopnea with arousal and desaturation (Had), and apnea. The measured TV and SV values during and after each respiratory event were compared with the pre-event baseline values. RESULTS: The mean TV/SV reductions during all hypopneas and apneas were 38.1%/4.2% and 70.5%/8.8%, respectively. Among three different hypopnea types, the reductions in TV during Hd and Had were significantly greater than those during Ha. The TV reductions during Ha and FL were similar. After RERA, Ha, Had, and apnea, there was an overshoot in TV and SV values, whereas there was no overshoot after FL and Hd. During RERA, there was no reduction in TV/SV. CONCLUSIONS: The changes in TV during and after each type of respiratory event were significantly different in most cases. The changes in SV between hypopnea and apnea were different with statistical significance. The AHI does not properly account for the ventilation losses caused by respiratory events. Thus, TV measurements might be useful in the future in assessing the OSA severity in conjunction with the AHI.

Validation of conductivity tensor imaging using giant vesicle suspensions with different ion mobilities.

BACKGROUND: Electrical conductivity of a biological tissue at low frequencies can be approximately expressed as a tensor. Noting that cross-sectional imaging of a low-frequency conductivity tensor distribution inside the human body has wide clinical applications of many bioelectromagnetic phenomena, a new conductivity tensor imaging (CTI) technique has been lately developed using an MRI scanner. Since the technique is based on a few assumptions between mobility and diffusivity of ions and water molecules, experimental validations are needed before applying it to clinical studies. METHODS: We designed two conductivity phantoms each with three compartments. The compartments were filled with electrolytes and/or giant vesicle suspensions. The giant vesicles were cell-like materials with thin insulating membranes. We controlled viscosity of the electrolytes and the giant vesicle suspensions to change ion mobility and therefore conductivity values. The conductivity values of the electrolytes and giant vesicle suspensions were measured using an impedance analyzer before CTI experiments. A 9.4-T research MRI scanner was used to reconstruct conductivity tensor images of the phantoms. RESULTS: The CTI technique successfully reconstructed conductivity tensor images of the phantoms with a voxel size of [Formula: see text]. The relative [Formula: see text] errors between the conductivity values measured by the impedance analyzer and those reconstructed by the MRI scanner was between 1.1 and 11.5. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of the new CTI technique was estimated to be high enough for most clinical applications. Future studies of animal models and human subjects should be pursued to show the clinical efficacy of the CTI technique.

Integrated EIT system for functional lung ventilation imaging.

BACKGROUND: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has been used for functional lung imaging of regional air distributions during mechanical ventilation in intensive care units (ICU). From numerous clinical and animal studies focusing on specific lung functions, a consensus about how to use the EIT technique has been formed lately. We present an integrated EIT system implementing the functions proposed in the consensus. The integrated EIT system could improve the usefulness when monitoring of mechanical ventilation for lung protection so that it could facilitate the clinical acceptance of this new technique. METHODS: Using a custom-designed 16-channel EIT system with 50 frames/s temporal resolution, the integrated EIT system software was developed to implement five functional images and six EIT measures that can be observed in real-time screen view and analysis screen view mode, respectively. We evaluated the performance of the integrated EIT system with ten mechanically ventilated porcine subjects in normal and disease models. RESULTS: Quantitative and simultaneous imaging of tidal volume (TV), end-expiratory lung volume change ([Formula: see text]EELV), compliance, ventilation delay, and overdistension/collapse images were performed. Clinically useful parameters were successfully extracted including anterior/posterior ventilation ratio (A/P ratio), center of ventilation ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), global inhomogeneity (GI), coefficient of variation (CV), ventilation delay and percentile of overdistension/collapse. The integrated EIT system was demonstrated to suggest an optimal positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) for lung protective ventilation in normal and in the disease model of an acute injury. Optimal PEEP for normal and disease model was 2.3 and [Formula: see text], respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed integrated approach for functional lung ventilation imaging could facilitate clinical acceptance of the bedside EIT imaging method in ICU. Future clinical studies of applying the proposed methods to human subjects are needed to show the clinical significance of the method for lung protective mechanical ventilation and mechanical ventilator weaning in ICU.

Evaluation of Hepatoprotective Effect of Curcumin on Liver Cirrhosis Using a Combination of Biochemical Analysis and Magnetic Resonance-Based Electrical Conductivity Imaging.

In oriental medicine, curcumin is used to treat inflammatory diseases, and its anti-inflammatory effect has been reported in recent research. In this feasibility study, the hepatoprotective effect of curcumin was investigated using a rat liver cirrhosis model, which was induced with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). Together with biochemical analysis, we used a magnetic resonance-based electrical conductivity imaging method to evaluate tissue conditions associated with a protective effect. The effects of curcumin treatment and lactulose treatment on liver cirrhosis were compared. Electrical conductivity images indicated that liver tissues damaged by DMN showed decreased conductivity compared with normal liver tissues. In contrast, cirrhotic liver tissues treated with curcumin or lactulose showed increased conductivity than tissues in the DMN-only group. Specifically, conductivity of cirrhotic liver after curcumin treatment was similar to that of normal liver tissues. Histological staining and immunohistochemical examination showed significant levels of attenuated fibrosis and decreased inflammatory response after both curcumin and lactulose treatments compared with damaged liver tissues by DMN. The conductivity imaging and biochemical examination results indicate that curcumin's anti-inflammatory effect can prevent the progression of irreversible liver dysfunction.

Direct detection of neural activity in vitro using magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT).

We describe a sequence of experiments performed in vitro to verify the existence of a new magnetic resonance imaging contrast - Magnetic Resonance Electrical Impedance Tomography (MREIT) -sensitive to changes in active membrane conductivity. We compared standard deviations in MREIT phase data from spontaneously active Aplysia abdominal ganglia in an artificial seawater background solution (ASW) with those found after treatment with an excitotoxic solution (KCl). We found significant increases in MREIT treatment cases, compared to control ganglia subject to extra ASW. This distinction was not found in phase images from the same ganglia using no imaging current. Further, significance and effect size depended on the amplitude of MREIT imaging current used. We conclude that our observations were linked to changes in cell conductivity caused by activity. Functional MREIT may have promise as a more direct method of functional neuroimaging than existing methods that image correlates of blood flow such as BOLD fMRI.

Alternating steady state free precession for estimation of current-induced magnetic flux density: A feasibility study.

PURPOSE: To develop a novel, current-controlled alternating steady-state free precession (SSFP)-based conductivity imaging method and corresponding MR signal models to estimate current-induced magnetic flux density (Bz ) and conductivity distribution. METHODS: In the proposed method, an SSFP pulse sequence, which is in sync with alternating current pulses, produces dual oscillating steady states while yielding nonlinear relation between signal phase and Bz . A ratiometric signal model between the states was analytically derived using the Bloch equation, wherein Bz was estimated by solving a nonlinear inverse problem for conductivity estimation. A theoretical analysis on the signal-to-noise ratio of Bz was given. Numerical and experimental studies were performed using SSFP-FID and SSFP-ECHO with current pulses positioned either before or after signal encoding to investigate the feasibility of the proposed method in conductivity estimation. RESULTS: Given all SSFP variants herein, SSFP-FID with alternating current pulses applied before signal encoding exhibits the highest Bz signal-to-noise ratio and conductivity contrast. Additionally, compared with conventional conductivity imaging, the proposed method benefits from rapid SSFP acquisition without apparent loss of conductivity contrast. CONCLUSION: We successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed method in estimating current-induced Bz and conductivity distribution. It can be a promising, rapid imaging strategy for quantitative conductivity imaging.

Non-destructive label-free continuous monitoring of in vitro chondrogenesis via electrical conductivity and its anisotropy.

Non-destructive label-free continuous monitoring of in vitro tissue culture is an unmet demand in tissue engineering. Noting that different compositions of cartilage lead to different electrical tissue properties, we propose a new method to measure the electrical conductivity and its anisotropy during in vitro chondrogenesis. We used a conductivity tensor probe with 17 electrodes and a bio-impedance spectroscopy (BIS) device to measure the conductivity values and the anisotropy ratios at the bottom and top surfaces of the tissue samples during the culture period of 6 weeks. Clearly distinguishing glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), collagen, and also various mixtures of them, the measured conductivity value and the estimated tissue anisotropy provide diagnostic information of the depth-dependent tissue structure and compositions. Continuously monitoring the individual tissue during the entire chondrogenesis process without any adverse effect, the proposed method may significantly increase the productivity of cartilage tissue engineering.

Real-time conductivity imaging of temperature and tissue property changes during radiofrequency ablation: an ex vivo model using weighted frequency difference.

We demonstrated the feasibility of time difference and weighted frequency difference conductivity imaging for real-time monitoring of temperature distribution and ablation region estimation during radiofrequency (RF) ablation. The electrical conductivity spectrum of biological tissue reflects mobility of ions in intra- and extra-cellular fluids and changes in cellular morphology induced by heating. The time series conductivity spectra were measured in an ex vivo bovine liver by a high-speed electrical impedance tomography (EIT) system. The EIT system was protected by filters to suppress RF energy and allow interleaved real-time imaging. We recorded time and weighted frequency-difference conductivity images and direct temperature variations at the ablation region and control region during 8 min ablation and for the following 66 min of cooling. Conductivity variation in regions of interest was compared with temperature recordings. Contours of conductivity change were visualized and compared to estimate the ablation area. EIT images confirmed increase of conductivity at all frequencies and loss of frequency conductivity change associated with loss of cellular structure. Time difference conductivity images showed changes due to both heating during ablation and heat dissipation following ablation together with tissue property changes. Weighted frequency-difference images presented persistent changes following heating due to the morphological change in the ablation zone.

Electrical impedance imaging system using FPGAs for flexibility and interoperability.

BACKGROUND: Modern EIT systems require simultaneously operating multiple functions for flexibility, interoperability, and clinical applicability. To implement versatile functions, expandable design and implementation tools are needed. On the other hand, it is necessary to develop an ASIC-based EIT system to maximize its performance. Since the ASIC design is expensive and unchangeable, we can use FPGAs as a prior step to the digital ASIC design and carefully classify which functions should be included in the ASIC. In this paper, we describe the details of the FPGA design adopted in the KHU Mark2.5 EIT system. METHODS: We classified all functions of the KHU Mark2.5 EIT system into two categories. One is the control and processing of current injection and voltage measurement. The other includes the collection and management of the multi-channel data with timing controls for internal and external interconnections. We describe the implementation of these functions in two kinds of FPGAs called the impedance measurement module (IMM) FPGA and the intra-network controller FPGA. RESULTS: We present functional and timing simulations of the key functions in the FPGAs. From phantom and animal imaging experiments, we show that multiple functions of the system are successfully implemented in the FPGAs. As examples, we demonstrate fast multi-frequency imaging and ECG-gated imaging. CONCLUSION: Given an analog design of a parallel EIT system, it is important to optimize its digital design to minimize systematic artifacts and maximize performance. This paper described technical details of the FPGA-based fully parallel EIT system called the KHU Mark2.5 with numerous functions needed for clinical applications. Two kinds of FPGAs described in this paper can be used as a basis for future EIT digital ASIC designs for better application-specific human interface as well as hardware performance.

Conductivity image enhancement in MREIT using adaptively weighted spatial averaging filter.

BACKGROUND: In magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT), we reconstruct conductivity images using magnetic flux density data induced by externally injected currents. Since we extract magnetic flux density data from acquired MR phase images, the amount of measurement noise increases in regions of weak MR signals. Especially for local regions of MR signal void, there may occur excessive amounts of noise to deteriorate the quality of reconstructed conductivity images. In this paper, we propose a new conductivity image enhancement method as a postprocessing technique to improve the image quality. METHODS: Within a magnetic flux density image, the amount of noise varies depending on the position-dependent MR signal intensity. Using the MR magnitude image which is always available in MREIT, we estimate noise levels of measured magnetic flux density data in local regions. Based on the noise estimates, we adjust the window size and weights of a spatial averaging filter, which is applied to reconstructed conductivity images. Without relying on a partial differential equation, the new method is fast and can be easily implemented. RESULTS: Applying the novel conductivity image enhancement method to experimental data, we could improve the image quality to better distinguish local regions with different conductivity contrasts. From phantom experiments, the estimated conductivity values had 80% less variations inside regions of homogeneous objects. Reconstructed conductivity images from upper and lower abdominal regions of animals showed much less artifacts in local regions of weak MR signals. CONCLUSION: We developed the fast and simple method to enhance the conductivity image quality by adaptively adjusting the weights and window size of the spatial averaging filter using MR magnitude images. Since the new method is implemented as a postprocessing step, we suggest adopting it without or with other preprocessing methods for application studies where conductivity contrast is of primary concern.

Reconstruction of dual-frequency conductivity by optimization of phase map in MREIT and MREPT.

BACKGROUND: The spectroscopic conductivity distribution of tissue can help to explain physiological and pathological status. Dual frequency conductivity imaging by combining Magnetic Resonance Electrical Property Tomography (MREPT) and Magnetic Resonance Electrical Impedance Tomography (MREIT) has been recently proposed. MREIT can provide internal conductivity distributions at low frequency (below 1 kHz) induced by an external injecting current. While MREPT can provide conductivity at the Larmor frequency related to the strength of the magnetic field. Despite this potential to describe the membrane properties using spectral information, MREPT and MREIT techniques currently suffer from weak signals and noise amplification as they both reply on differentiation of measured phase data. METHODS: We proposed a method to optimize the measured phase signal by finding weighting factors according to the echo signal for MREPT and MREIT using the ICNE (Injected current nonlinear encoding) multi-echo pulse sequence. Our target weights are chosen to minimize the measured noise. The noise standard deviations were precisely analyzed for the optimally weighted magnetic flux density and the phase term of the positive-rotating magnetic field. To enhance the quality of dual-frequency conductivity images, we applied the denoising method based on the reaction-diffusion equation with the estimated noise standard deviations. A real experiment was performed with a hollow cylindrical object made of thin insulating film with holes to control the apparent conductivity using ion mobility and an agarose gel cylinder wrapped in an insulating film without holes to show different spectroscopic conductivities. RESULTS: The ability to image different conductivity characteristics in MREPT and MREIT from a single MR scan was shown by including the two objects with different spectroscopic conductivities. Using the six echo signals, we computed the optimized weighting factors for each echo. The qualities of conductivity images for MREPT and MREIT were improved by optimization of the phase map. The proposed method effectively reduced the random noise artifacts for both MREIT and MREPT. CONCLUSION: We enhanced the dual conductivity images using the optimally weighted magnetic flux density and the phase term of positive-rotating magnetic field based on the analysis of the noise standard deviations and applying the optimization and denoising methods.

Design of a microscopic electrical impedance tomography system for 3D continuous non-destructive monitoring of tissue culture.

BACKGROUND: Non-destructive continuous monitoring of regenerative tissue is required throughout the entire period of in vitro tissue culture. Microscopic electrical impedance tomography (micro-EIT) has the potential to monitor the physiological state of tissues by forming three-dimensional images of impedance changes in a non-destructive and label-free manner. We developed a new micro-EIT system and report on simulation and experimental results of its macroscopic model. METHODS: We propose a new micro-EIT system design using a cuboid sample container with separate current-driving and voltage sensing electrodes. The top is open for sample manipulations. We used nine gold-coated solid electrodes on each of two opposing sides of the container to produce multiple linearly independent internal current density distributions. The 360 voltage sensing electrodes were placed on the other sides and base to measure induced voltages. Instead of using an inverse solver with the least squares method, we used a projected image reconstruction algorithm based on a logarithm formulation to produce projected images. We intended to improve the quality and spatial resolution of the images by increasing the number of voltage measurements subject to a few injected current patterns. We evaluated the performance of the micro-EIT system with a macroscopic physical phantom. RESULTS: The signal-to-noise ratio of the developed micro-EIT system was 66 dB. Crosstalk was in the range of -110.8 to -90.04 dB. Three-dimensional images with consistent quality were reconstructed from physical phantom data over the entire domain. From numerical and experimental results, we estimate that at least 20 × 40 electrodes with 120 µm spacing are required to monitor the complex shape of ingrowth neotissue inside a scaffold with 300 µm pore. CONCLUSION: The experimental results showed that the new micro-EIT system with a reduced set of injection current patterns and a large number of voltage sensing electrodes can be potentially used for tissue culture monitoring. Numerical simulations demonstrated that the spatial resolution could be improved to the scale required for tissue culture monitoring. Future challenges include manufacturing a bioreactor-compatible container with a dense array of electrodes and a larger number of measurement channels that are sensitive to the reduced voltage gradients expected at a smaller scale.

Fast conductivity imaging in magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) for RF ablation monitoring.

PURPOSE: This study shows the potential of magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) as a non-invasive RF ablation monitoring technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prepared bovine muscle tissue with a pair of needle electrodes for RF ablation, a temperature sensor, and two pairs of surface electrodes for conductivity image reconstructions. We used the injected current non-linear encoding with multi-echo gradient recalled echo (ICNE-MGRE) pulse sequence in a series of MREIT scans for conductivity imaging. We acquired magnetic flux density data induced by externally injected currents, while suppressing other phase artefacts. We used an 8-channel RF head coil and 8 echoes to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in measured magnetic flux density data. Using the measured data, we reconstructed a time series of 180 conductivity images at every 10.24 s during and after RF ablation. RESULTS: Tissue conductivity values in the lesion increased with temperature during RF ablation. After reaching 60 °C, a steep increase in tissue conductivity values occurred with relatively little temperature increase. After RF ablation, tissue conductivity values in the lesion decreased with temperature, but to values different from those before ablation due to permanent structural changes of tissue by RF ablation. CONCLUSION: We could monitor temperature and also structural changes in tissue during RF ablation by producing spatio-temporal maps of tissue conductivity values using a fast MREIT conductivity imaging method. We expect that the new monitoring method could be used to estimate lesions during RF ablation and improve the efficacy of the treatment.

Experimental validations of in vivo human musculoskeletal tissue conductivity images using MR-based electrical impedance tomography.

Magnetic resonance (MR)-based electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) is a widely used imaging technique that provides high-resolution conductivity images at DC or below the 1 kHz frequency range. Using an MR scanner, this technique injects imaging currents into the human body and measures induced internal magnetic flux density data. By applying the recent progress of MREIT techniques, such as chemical shift artifact correction, multi-echo pulse sequence, and improved reconstruction algorithm, we can successfully reconstruct conductivity images of the human body. Meanwhile, numerous studies reported that the electrical conductivity of human tissues could be inferred from in vitro or ex vivo measurements of different species. However, in vivo tissues may differ from in vitro and/or ex vivo state due to the complicated tissue responses in living organs. In this study, we performed in vivo MREIT imaging of a human lower extremity and compared the resulting conductivity images with ex vivo biological tissue phantom images. The human conductivity images showed unique contrast between two different types of bones, muscles, subcutaneous adipose tissues, and conductive body fluids. Except for muscles and adipose tissues, the human conductivity images showed a similar pattern when compared with phantom results due to the anisotropic characteristic of muscle and the high conductive fluids in the adipose tissue.

Electrical impedance spectroscopy for electro-mechanical characterization of conductive fabrics.

When we use a conductive fabric as a pressure sensor, it is necessary to quantitatively understand its electromechanical property related with the applied pressure. We investigated electromechanical properties of three different conductive fabrics using the electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We found that their electrical impedance spectra depend not only on the electrical properties of the conductive yarns, but also on their weaving structures. When we apply a mechanical tension or compression, there occur structural deformations in the conductive fabrics altering their apparent electrical impedance spectra. For a stretchable conductive fabric, the impedance magnitude increased or decreased under tension or compression, respectively. For an almost non-stretchable conductive fabric, both tension and compression resulted in decreased impedance values since the applied tension failed to elongate the fabric. To measure both tension and compression separately, it is desirable to use a stretchable conductive fabric. For any conductive fabric chosen as a pressure-sensing material, its resistivity under no loading conditions must be carefully chosen since it determines a measurable range of the impedance values subject to different amounts of loadings. We suggest the EIS method to characterize the electromechanical property of a conductive fabric in designing a thin and flexible fabric pressure sensor.

Comparison of noninvasive cardiac output and stroke volume measurements using electrical impedance tomography with invasive methods in a swine model.

Pulmonary artery catheterization (PAC) has been used as a clinical standard for cardiac output (CO) measurements on humans. On animals, however, an ultrasonic flow sensor (UFS) placed around the ascending aorta or pulmonary artery can measure CO and stroke volume (SV) more accurately. The objective of this paper is to compare CO and SV measurements using a noninvasive electrical impedance tomography (EIT) device and three invasive devices using UFS, PAC-CCO (continuous CO) and arterial pressure-based CO (APCO). Thirty-two pigs were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated. A UFS was placed around the pulmonary artery through thoracotomy in 11 of them, while the EIT, PAC-CCO and APCO devices were used on all of them. Afterload and contractility were changed pharmacologically, while preload was changed through bleeding and injection of fluid or blood. Twenty-three pigs completed the experiment. Among 23, the UFS was used on 7 pigs around the pulmonary artery. The percentage error (PE) between COUFS and COEIT was 26.1%, and the 10-min concordance was 92.5%. Between SVUFS and SVEIT, the PE was 24.8%, and the 10-min concordance was 94.2%. On analyzing the data from all 23 pigs, the PE between time-delay-adjusted COPAC-CCO and COEIT was 34.6%, and the 10-min concordance was 81.1%. Our results suggest that the performance of the EIT device in measuring dynamic changes of CO and SV on mechanically-ventilated pigs under different cardiac preload, afterload and contractility conditions is at least comparable to that of the PAC-CCO device. Clinical studies are needed to evaluate the utility of the EIT device as a noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring tool.

A tissue-relaxation-dependent neighboring method for robust mapping of the myelin water fraction.

Quantitative assessment of the myelin content in white matter (WM) using MRI has become a useful tool for investigating myelin-related diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Myelin water fraction (MWF) maps can be estimated pixel-by-pixel by a determination of the T2 or T2* spectrum from signal decay measurements at each individual image pixel. However, detection of parameters from the measured decay curve, assuming a combination of smooth multi-exponential curves, results in a nonlinear and seriously ill-posed problem. In this paper, we propose a new method to obtain a stable MWF map robust to the presence of noise while sustaining sufficient resolution, which uses weighted combinations of measured decay signals in a spatially independent neighborhood to combine tissues with similar relaxation parameters. To determine optimal weighting factors, we define a spatially independent neighborhood for each pixel and a distance with respect to decay rates that effectively includes pixels with similar decay characteristics, and which therefore have similar relaxation parameters. We recover the MWF values by using optimally weighted decay curves. We use numerical simulations and in vitro and in vivo experimental brain data scanned with a multi-gradient-echo sequence to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed algorithm and to highlight its advantages compared to the conventional method.

Feasibility of magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) conductivity imaging to evaluate brain abscess lesion: in vivo canine model.

PURPOSE: To show the feasibility of magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) conductivity imaging in terms of its capability to provide new contrast information of abscess lesion and characterize time-course variations before and after the induction of brain abscess. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Brain abscess was induced in healthy beagles by a direct inoculation method using Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. After the induction, four electrodes were attached on the head and the dog was placed inside the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) bore. Using a current source, we injected a current of amplitude 5 mA and a pulse width of 81 msec. A multi-echo ICNE pulse sequence was used to obtain the magnetic flux density (Bz ) data. RESULTS: The relative conductivity contrast ratios (rCCR, %) of abscess lesion were significantly changed by the postinduction time (P < 0.01). The rCCRs of central abscess lesions were higher than the surrounding area at 6, 12, and 18 hours (P < 0.01). Over 12 hours, the relationship between the induction time and rCCR showed a positive correlation followed by a negative correlation (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We performed in vivo disease model animal experiments to validate the MREIT technique providing conductivity information of tissues in situ to be utilized in clinical applications.