In-body EIT Modeling for Surgical Structure Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) systems face challenges in accurately modeling and visualizing internal structures within the human body in real-time, particularly in surgical procedures, due to limitations in measuring and processing voltage data to determine structural and dielectric properties of tissues and organs.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that compute the shape and dielectric properties of structures within the body by accessing voltage measurements from in-body electrodes, adjusting parameter values to fit predicted voltage models, and using these parameters to display the structural environment, with parameters defined for structural and dielectric properties of specific body tissues like heart cardiac muscle, vascular walls, and heart valve components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If voltage measurements are taken using in-body electrodes to determine structural and dielectric properties, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for multiple electrodes and sophisticated signal processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the body into multiple regions with separate electrode arrays (first electrode array for first region, second electrode array for second region). This segmentation allows independent measurement and processing of voltage data for different body regions, improving measurement precision while managing device complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary processing layer that receives voltage measurements from multiple electrodes and computes equivalent current source densities. This intermediary step simplifies the complex voltage data into meaningful structural and dielectric property representations, reducing the complexity of final interpretation while maintaining measurement precision.
2Productivity
If real-time modeling is performed to provide detailed structural information during surgical procedures, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to computational requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-computes and stores structural models and dielectric property data before surgical procedures. During the procedure, these pre-computed models are rapidly queried and updated with real-time voltage measurements, enabling real-time visualization without requiring complex computational processing during critical surgical moments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a computational copy or digital twin of the patient's anatomy using pre-acquired imaging data and voltage measurements. This virtual model can be processed and visualized in real-time without physically manipulating complex anatomical structures, improving productivity while managing computational complexity through software-based modeling.
3Measurement precision
If multiple parameters are adjusted to fit voltage measurements for accurate modeling, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to iterative computation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where voltage measurements from electrodes are continuously compared with predicted values from structural models. The differences (errors) are fed back to adjust and refine the models iteratively, improving measurement precision while managing computation time through efficient feedback loops that converge quickly on accurate models.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts model parameters (such as dielectric properties and structural dimensions) based on voltage measurements. By changing parameters in a systematic manner guided by the measurements, the system achieves accurate modeling faster than brute-force iteration, reducing time loss while maintaining precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables real-time, accurate modeling and visualization of internal structures, improving surgical precision by providing detailed geometrical and dielectric property information of tissues and organs, facilitating better navigation and interaction with tools and implants within the body.
Implementation Method 1
Systems and methods for Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), as known in the art, involve injecting electrical currents at electrodes placed on the surface of a body and measuring, using other electrodes placed on the surface of the body, the potential (voltage), induced by the electric field supplied by the current injecting electrodes.
Implementation Method 2
From the measured voltages, 3D images or dielectric maps of tissues and organs inside the body can be generated based on the fact that different materials in the body (e.g. bone, fat, other tissue) have different dielectric properties.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems of computing parameter values of one or more model parameters are described. The model models structural and dielectric properties of a structure in a human or an animal body. An exemplary method includes: accessing voltage measurements made at different places in the vicinity of the structure by one or more in-body field sensing electrodes in response to currents applied to one or more field supplying electrodes; and computing the parameter values by adjusting the parameter values to fit predicted voltage values to the accessed voltage measurements, wherein the predicted voltage values are predicted from the model for the currents applied to the field supplying in-body electrodes.