The use of magnetic resonance imaging data and the inclusion of anisotropic regions in electrical impedance tomography.

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) involves determining the electrical conductivity inside a biological body, given electrical impedance measurements on the surface of the body. This paper will discuss the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data and the inclusion of anisotropic regions in EIT algorithms to reconstruct a more accurate conductivity profile for a canine torso. MRI data is used to determine the boundaries between regions of different conductivities with greater precision than is presently available using EIT alone. The inclusion of anisotropic regions allows better modeling of the muscle regions (e.g. skeletal muscle) which exhibit a greater conductivity in the direction parallel to the muscle fiber.