Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography Research Articles

Finite element modelling and image reconstruction for Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography

Objective: We propose a numerical framework to simulate the Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography (LFEIT) measurements on accurate electrode models and an image reconstruction scheme for which data on two pairs of electrodes are sufficient. Approach: The adopted finite element-based complete electrode model encompasses the electrode’s geometry and contact impedance, accounting for the power losses at the contact interface. For image reconstruction, we suggest an approach based on a modified J-substitution algorithm that requires LFEIT and impedance measurements on two pairs of sensors, essentially necessitating no more than three boundary electrodes. Main results: The results of our simulation study suggest that electrode modelling has a significant impact on the measurements and electrode model inaccuracies may be detrimental to the image reconstruction. For image reconstruction, we suggest an approach based on a modified J-substitution algorithm that requires LFEIT and impedance measurements on two pairs of sensors, essentially necessitating no more than three boundary electrodes. Significance: This allows for shorter acquisition times, less sonication noise during the acoustic modulation, a simpler measurement setup, and eventually a more succinct and efficient image reconstruction process.

Lorentz Force Electrical-Impedance Tomography Using Linearly Frequency-Modulated Ultrasound Pulse.

Lorentz force electrical-impedance tomography (LFEIT) combines ultrasound stimulation and electromagnetic field detection with the goal of creating a high-contrast and high-resolution hybrid imaging modality. To reduce the peak stimulation power to the ultrasound transducer in LFEIT, linearly frequency-modulated (LFM) ultrasound pulse was investigated in this paper. First, the coherency between LFM ultrasound excitation and the resulting local current density was established theoretically. Then, experiments were done using different agar phantoms of conductivity ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 S/m. The results showed: 1) using electrical signal of peak instantaneous power of 39.54 dBm to the ultrasound transducer, which was 25.5 dB lower than the peak instantaneous power of the high-voltage narrow pulse adopted in traditional LFEIT (65.05 dBm), the LFM ultrasound pulse-based LFEIT can detect the electrical conductivity discontinuity positions precisely; 2) the reconstructed B-scan image of the electrical conductivity discontinuity distribution is comparable to that obtained through LFEIT with high-voltage narrow pulse; and 3) axial resolution of 1 mm was achieved with the experimental setup. The method of LFM ultrasound pulse stimulation and coherent detection initiates an alternative scheme toward the clinical application of LFEIT.

Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Detection Using Step Frequency Technique**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 51137004 and 61427806, the Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No YZ201507, and the China Scholarship Council Program under Grant No 201604910849.

Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography (LFEIT) inherits the merit of high resolution by ultrasound stimulation and the merit of high contrast through electromagnetic field detection. To reduce the instantaneous peak power of the stimulating signal to the transducer, the sinusoidal pulse and step-frequency technique is investigated in LFEIT. The theory of application of step-frequency technique in LFEIT is formulated with the direct demodulation method and the in-phase quadrature demodulation method. Compared with the in-phase quadrature demodulation method, the direct demodulation method has simple experimental setup but could only detect half of the range. Experiments carried out with copper foils confirmed that LFEIT using the step-frequency technique could detect the electrical conductivity variations precisely, which suggests an alternative method of realization of LFEIT.

Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography using pulse compression technique**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51137004 and 61427806), the Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. YZ201507), and the China Scholarship Council (Grant No. 201604910849).

Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography (LFEIT) combines ultrasound stimulation and electromagnetic field detection with the goal of creating a high contrast and high resolution hybrid imaging modality. In this study, pulse compression working together with a linearly frequency modulated ultrasound pulse was investigated in LFEIT. Experiments were done on agar phantoms having the same level of electrical conductivity as soft biological tissues. The results showed that: (i) LFEIT using pulse compression could detect the location of the electrical conductivity variations precisely; (ii) LFEIT using pulse compression could get the same performance of detecting electrical conductivity variations as the traditional LFEIT using high voltage narrow pulse but reduce the peak stimulating power to the transducer by 25.5 dB; (iii) axial resolution of 1 mm could be obtained using modulation frequency bandwidth 2 MHz.

Design of a Superconducting Magnet for Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography

This paper presents the design and modeling of a second-generation (2G) high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet, which is suitable for Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography (LFEIT). The concept of constructing a superconducting magnet using the configuration of a Halbach array is proposed, which can achieve a favorable thin geometry for the LFEIT system, and is able to build a homogeneous magnetic field with high intensity. The modeling of this superconducting Halbach array magnet has been executed by COMSOL Multiphysics. H-formulation together with B-dependent critical current density and bulk approximation are used as the basic tools for modeling. Results reveal that this magnet can achieve over 1-T magnetic field in the cross section required. The optimization of HTS coils' location and different numbers of coils are carried out to balance the strength and homogeneity of magnetic field.

Design of a Superconducting Magnet for Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography

This paper presents the design and modeling of a second-generation (2G) high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet, which is suitable for Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography (LFEIT). The concept of constructing a superconducting magnet using the configuration of a Halbach array is proposed, which can achieve a favorable thin geometry for the LFEIT system, and is able to build a homogeneous magnetic field with high intensity. The modeling of this superconducting Halbach array magnet has been executed by COMSOL Multiphysics. H-formulation together with B-dependent critical current density and bulk approximation are used as the basic tools for modeling. Results reveal that this magnet can achieve over 1-T magnetic field in the cross section required. The optimization of HTS coils' location and different numbers of coils are carried out to balance the strength and homogeneity of magnetic field.

Design and simulation of superconducting Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography (LFEIT)

Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography (LFEIT) is a hybrid diagnostic scanner with strong capability for biological imaging, particularly in cancer and haemorrhages detection. This paper presents the design and simulation of a novel combination: a superconducting magnet together with LFEIT system. Superconducting magnets can generate magnetic field with high intensity and homogeneity, which could significantly enhance the imaging performance. The modelling of superconducting magnets was carried out using Finite Element Method (FEM) package, COMSOL Multiphysics, which was based on Partial Differential Equation (PDE) model with H-formulation coupling B-dependent critical current density and bulk approximation. The mathematical model for LFEIT system was built based on the theory of magneto-acoustic effect. The magnetic field properties from magnet design were imported into the LFEIT model. The basic imaging of electrical signal was developed using MATLAB codes. The LFEIT model simulated two samples located in three different magnetic fields with varying magnetic strength and homogeneity.

Acousto-electrical speckle pattern in Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography

Ultrasound speckle is a granular texture pattern appearing in ultrasound imaging. It can be used to distinguish tissues and identify pathologies. Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography is an ultrasound-based medical imaging technique of the tissue electrical conductivity. It is based on the application of an ultrasound wave in a medium placed in a magnetic field and on the measurement of the induced electric current due to Lorentz force. Similarly to ultrasound imaging, we hypothesized that a speckle could be observed with Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography imaging. In this study, we first assessed the theoretical similarity between the measured signals in Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography and in ultrasound imaging modalities. We then compared experimentally the signal measured in both methods using an acoustic and electrical impedance interface. Finally, a bovine muscle sample was imaged using the two methods. Similar speckle patterns were observed. This indicates the existence of an ‘acousto-electrical speckle’ in the Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography with spatial characteristics driven by the acoustic parameters but due to electrical impedance inhomogeneities instead of acoustic ones as is the case of ultrasound imaging.

A mathematical and numerical framework for ultrasonically-induced Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography

We provide a mathematical analysis and a numerical framework for Lorentz force electrical conductivity imaging. Ultrasonic vibration of a tissue in the presence of a static magnetic field induces an electrical current by the Lorentz force. This current can be detected by electrodes placed around the tissue; it is proportional to the velocity of the ultrasonic pulse, but depends nonlinearly on the conductivity distribution. The imaging problem is to reconstruct the conductivity distribution from measurements of the induced current. To solve this nonlinear inverse problem, we first make use of a virtual potential to relate explicitly the current measurements to the conductivity distribution and the velocity of the ultrasonic pulse. Then, by applying a Wiener filter to the measured data, we reduce the problem to imaging the conductivity from an internal electric current density. We first introduce an optimal control method for solving such a problem. A new direct reconstruction scheme involving a partial differential equation is then proposed based on viscosity-type regularization to a transport equation satisfied by the current density field. We prove that solving such an equation yields the true conductivity distribution as the regularization parameter approaches zero. We also test both schemes numerically in the presence of measurement noise, quantify their stability and resolution, and compare their performance.

Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography

This article describes a method called Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography. The electrical conductivity of biological tissues can be measured through their sonication in a magnetic field: the vibration of the tissues inside the field induces an electrical current by Lorentz force. This current, detected by electrodes placed around the sample, is proportional to the ultrasonic pressure, to the strength of the magnetic field and to the electrical conductivity gradient along the acoustic axis. By focusing at different places inside the sample, a map of the electrical conductivity gradient can be established. In this study, experiments were conducted on a gelatin phantom and on a beef sample, successively placed in a 300mT magnetic field and sonicated with an ultrasonic transducer focused at 21cm emitting 500kHz bursts. Although all interfaces are not visible, in this exploratory study a good correlation is observed between the electrical conductivity image and the ultrasonic image. This method offers an alternative to detecting pathologies invisible to standard ultrasonography.