Model study of imaging myocardial infarction by intracardiac electrical impedance tomography.
Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) detects tissue composition inside a medium by determining its resistive properties, and uses various electrode configurations to pass a small electric current and measure corresponding potential. We investigated the feasibility of reconstructing scarred tissue inside the heart wall by employing EIT on the basis of a catheter carrying a plurality of electrodes and placed inside the blood-filled heart cavity. We built a computer model of the biological medium, and reconstructed the resistivity distribution using the finite element method and Tikhonov regularization. The results established the successful implementation of the numeric methods and the possibility of localizing and quantifying scarred myocardium. Novel application of EIT from inside the heart cavity could be useful during catheterization and may complement other diagnostic modalities. Further research is necessary to assess the impact of several factors on the accuracy of the reconstruction and include number of electrodes, catheter location, and scar size.
Li
Ying
Y
Department of Cardiology, Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, and Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, Health Science Center, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USA. yli@tmhs.org
Rao
Liyun
L
Ling
Yuesheng
Y
He
Renjie
R
Khoury
Dirar S
DS
D018780:Body Surface Potential Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D017097:Electric Impedance; D006801:Humans; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010992:Plethysmography, Impedance / Q000379:methods*; D014054:Tomography / Q000379:methods*