The effect of the skull of low-birthweight neonates on applied potential tomography imaging of centralised resistivity changes

Clin Phys Physiol Meas. 1988:9 Suppl A:55-60. doi: 10.1088/0143-0815/9/4a/010.

Abstract

An investigation is presented into the likely effects of the neonatal skull on impedance images produced by applied potential tomography (APT) by imaging impedance changes inside the skull of a human infant of occipito-frontal circumference 30 cm. Measurements have been made with the skull immersed in a tank of saline and electrodes fixed to the perimeter of the tank. Sensitivity measurements have been assessed for imaging a small target close to the centre of the skull as compared with images produced without the skull. The results obtained compare favourably with measurements on a more realistic model of the neonatal head constructed by filling the skull with agar jelly to leave only a thin exterior coating of jelly to simulate the scalp. These experiments suggest that in the central region of the head of a neonate, measured changes by the APT technique are about 44% of that expected from a homogeneous phantom, but that this might vary from 32% to 55% at different points in the image in a very complex manner.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain / physiology*
  • Electric Conductivity
  • Fetus
  • Humans
  • Infant, Low Birth Weight / physiology*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Skull / anatomy & histology*
  • Tomography / methods*