title: A multifrequency magnetic induction tomography system using planar gradiometers: data collection and calibration.
abstract: We developed a 14-channel multifrequency magnetic induction tomography system (MF-MIT) for biomedical applications. The excitation field is produced by a single coil and 14 planar gradiometers are used for signal detection. The object under measurement was rotated (16 steps per turn) to obtain a full data set for image reconstruction. We make measurements at frequencies from 50 kHz to 1 MHz using a single frequency excitation signal or a multifrequency signal containing several frequencies in this range. We used two acquisition boards giving a total of eight synchronous channels at a sample rate of 5 MS s(-1) per channel. The real and imaginary parts of DeltaB/B(0) were calculated using coherent demodulation at all injected frequencies. Calibration, averaging and drift cancellation techniques were used before image reconstruction. A plastic tank filled with saline (D = 19 cm) and with conductive and/or paramagnetic perturbations was measured for calibration and test purposes. We used a FEM model and an eddy current solver to evaluate the experimental results and to reconstruct the images. Measured equivalent input noise voltage for each channel was 2 nV Hz(-1/2). Using coherent demodulation, with an integration time of 20 ms, the measured STD for the magnitude was 7 nV(rms) (close to the theoretical value only taking into account the amplifier's thermal noise). For long acquisition times the drift in the signal produced a bigger effect than the input noise (typical STD was 10 nV with a maximum of 35 nV at one channel) but this effect was reduced using a drift cancellation technique based on averaging. We were able to image a 2 S m(-1) agar sphere (D = 4 cm) inside the tank filled with saline of 1 S m(-1).
authors.affiliation: Departament d'Enginyeria Electrònica, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosell-Ferrer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merwa
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scharfetter
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D017097:Electric Impedance; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods; D008280:Magnetics; D010992:Plethysmography, Impedance / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014054:Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014159:Transducers