Data processing and analysis system based on Matlab for electrical impedance tomography

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) systems developed by the group in the University of Sheffield, England have been relatively popular because the systems have been made available to other investigators for various clinical studies. The DOS based software supplied for the Sheffield DAS-01P EIT system lacks some features that are needed in order to easily quantify cardiac and respiratory function. A program was developed using Matlab that takes the raw streamed data and produces graphical and numerical data that can be more easily used to compare various physiological conditions. Some of the features of the program are: (1) averaged images can be produced synchronized with both the cardiac and respiratory cycle; (2) boarders of selected regions (i.e. organs) can be automatically determined based on tissue resistivity values; (3) boarders of selected regions from one image can be transfer to the same location in an other image; and (4) the change in resistivity over a cardiac or respiratory cycle of selected multiple regions can be plotted. The system integrates data processing and analysis. It is simple and easy to use in order to obtain quantitative values and images of physiological changes.