Custom Electrical Impedance Tomography Forward Models for Muscle Rehabilitation and Radiation Monitoring

Abstract

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has become increasingly prevalent in medical research. However, there are gaps where EIT has the ability to provide more context and introduce new insights into internal body composition. For example, physical rehabilitation is traditionally based on motion tracking, though muscle tracking is the ultimate goal. A wearable EIT sensing device can fill this gap. We use sets of electrodes to image and reconstruct muscles in the body for real-time visualization of muscle activity. The results indicate that monitoring and visualizing muscle engagement can improve therapeutic exercise accuracy for rehabilitation. In addition, radiation treatment can be monitored in a more accessible way than is currently available. A wearable EIT sensing device is cheaper and faster to use than current options and can provide information about internal organs in real-time. We explore changes of electrical properties in materials due to radiation using EIT. Although the project is still in an early stage, the results indicate promise for applications of EIT real-time monitoring during and after radiotherapy treatments.