2 research outputs found
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A novel approach to transcutaneous localization of blood vessels using a dynamically reconfigurable electrode (DRE) array
Non-invasive transcutaneous analysis is very desirable in medical applications that require blood analysis. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is one of the many methods that has been extensively researched and is often used for such applications, with its advantages including very high sensitivity and rapid response. EIS utilizes electrodes to monitor conductivity variations in blood. However in order to minimize the effect of high impedance tissue and skin surrounding a low impedance, localized subcutaneous vascular structure of interest, one has to locate the structure of interest and then adjust the placement and size of the electrodes to make the measurement as targeted as possible. It is thus essential to achieve an appropriate method for a) detecting the vascular structure of interest and b) localizing the transcutaneous measurement so that sensitivity can be improved and greatly interfering measurements from surrounding tissue can be disregarded. This study proposes and assesses the potential use of a multi-electrode array for making dynamically reconfigurable electrodes (DRE), by treating electrode segments as pixels that can form re-locating and re-shaping electrodes. Simulations preformed in COMSOL indicated that the technique can successfully locate a transcutaneous structure and achieve double the sensitivity relative to conventional electrode topologies
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A Quadruple-Sweep Bioimpedance Sensing Method for Arterial Stenosis Detection
Current carotid atherosclerosis diagnostic protocols do not feature techniques that would allow for early or frequent medical examinations, leaving a significant number of asymptomatic carotid stenosis cases undetected and often leading to strokes. The key challenge is that current diagnostics are highly operator-dependent. In this work we used idealised biological models to demonstrate a new rapid, potentially inexpensive and operator-independent diagnostic method, aimed at detecting whether a stenosis exists, rather than seeking to be accurately quantifying or localising it. An array of electrodes was used to obtain sequential bioimpedance values over the skin, through a novel scanning technique, covering an area over the artery of interest. FEM simulations, verified through in-vitro experiments on gelatine phantoms, were used to validate the method. The final results, obtained through image processing algorithms, were in the form of planar bio-impedance maps and were successful both in identifying arterial features and detecting the presence of stenoses of different sizes. The results could also be used to indicate the artery’s relative orientation to the sensor, eliminating the need for manual alignment by a specialist operator. Therefore, this method shows promise for routine medical examination, either in primary care, or even at home, to indicate whether a patient would require further, more detailed examinations at a specialist clinic