AN ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM FOR THYROID GLAND WITH A TINY ELECTRODE ARRAY

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Science (IJBES), Vol. 3, No. 3, July 2016
DOI: 10.5121/ijbes.2016.3305 41
AN ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE TOMOGRAPHY
SYSTEM FOR THYROID GLAND WITH A TINY
ELECTRODE ARRAY
Moustafa Ahmed1
, Yara Mouhamed2
, Nivan M. Fikry3
, Hesham Ali Badawi3
,
Mohamed A. Bondok4
and Mona S. El-Neklawi4
1
Faculty of Allied Medical Science, Pharos University in Alexandria, 2
Faculty of
Medicine, Alexandria University,3
Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University,
Faculty of Applied Medical Science, October 6 University, Egypt
ABSTRACT
Electrical impedance Tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive imaging technique based on measuring of the
electrical conductivity and capacitance of abnormal and normal human tissues. The present work aims to
develop an EIT imaging system for imaging thyroid gland. Patients with thyroid nodules were eligible for
the study. The study was conducted on two groups of participants: control group consists of 20 normal
female cases and experimental consists of 20 goiter female patients. The thyroid nodule location, size, and
type measured by ultrasound. Thyroid gland conductivity and permittivity were recorded using EIT. The
impedance measurement is done through the applying of two probes: one probe to the neck region
(scanning probe) and the rest region (reference probe) with electrolytic gel for each probe, then the system
software proceeds to reconstruct the image and calculate the electrical impedance of the thyroid gland on
a personal computer which acts as an output display and storage for case information. The thyroid
scanning probe has 64 electrodes embedded on a small space (30 mm diameter and 50 mm height) inside
of the probe. Multifrequency impedance measurements are typically made by applying an electric current
to a target mass by using of the scanning probe and measuring the developed voltage. The present EIT
system provides real- time visualization of the spatial distribution of the electrical properties of the thyroid
tissue. Images obtained from the bioimpedance (BI) were compared to images obtained from the
ultrasound imaging, results showed great similarity between the two diagnostic images. Tumor tissue has
higher resistance and capacitance value than that of normal thyroid gland.
KEYWORDS
Electrical impedance Tomography, Electrical properties of the thyroid tissue Thyroid gland imaging,
1. INTRODUCTION
During the past decades, an increasing of thyroid cancer has been reported.[1] Electrical
impedancetomography (EIT) is an imaging method has wide practical applications in medicine.
It produces an image of the cross-sectional impedance within an object by applying currents
while measuring the corresponding voltages at the boundary [2]. EIT is different from other
image modalities in clinics. This technique can provide additional information on tissues under
diagnosis. Also, EIT offers the merits of low cost, no ionizing radiation, and noninvasiveness.
Several research groups have published reports about the EIT hardware and methods [3,4]. EIT is

42
a frequency measuring system provide useful information about the electrical properties of
tissues and cells (5) and have possible application in several areas [6]. There are several EIT
practical limitations such as the complicated spatial distribution of the bio-impedance that arises
from complex structure of biological tissues, in addition to the structure and arrangement of
measurement electrodes. To obtain reasonable images, at least several thousand of measurements
are usually carried out. These results take measuring and analyzing time. Therefore, it is difficult
to achieve high precision and to assert measurement results as clinically relevant information. In
order to overcome this drawback, there is a need to address several issues for employing EIT in
medical application such as, estimating impedance parameters for local tissue and the shape of
electrode structure.[7] The most important drawback of the EIT is its poor image resolution
which is often restricted by number of electrodes. The present study overcome this drawback by
increasing number of electrodes, which transmit the electrical current through thyroid tissue to
measure the electrical characteristics of the thyroid gland to be able to differentiate between
normal and abnormal tissues in it.
Materials and Methods
In the present study portable thyroid gland electrical impedance tomography instrument (Figure
1) is designed and constructed. In this instrument, multifrequency bioimpedance measurements
in the range of 5 KHz to 1MHz are typically made by applying an electric current (0.5 -m4 mA
RMS) to a target mass using a square matrix of 64 electrodes and measuring the developed
voltages between matrix electrodes and a reference electrode. This instrument interfaced to a
personal computer using a microcontroller to facilitate measurements processing at different
frequencies rapidly. The electrical measurements require the placement of a conducting gel on
the scanning probe and on the reference electrode. The reference metal electrode was held in the
seated patient's hand. The thyroid gland electrical impedance Tomography (TGIT) system used
in the present work consists of: microcontroller, analog to digital convertor (ADC), divider
circuits, eight 8-channelds multiplexers, peak detector system and two probes (scanning probe
and reference) electrode. Personal computer (PC) was used to control operations, provides
image reconstruction and visualizes it for operator on screen.
Figure 1: Block diagram of thyroid gland impedance Tomography system hardware

43
The thyroid scan probe has the measuring array of 64 Ag-AgCl electrodes. The main part of
functions is maintained by the microcontroller: Analog to digital converters for current, and
voltage, signal generation and quadrate calculation. The microcontroller generates the voltage
signal through a small value resistor between an active electrode of the 64 electrodes array
which is choose by the multiplexer and virtual ground electrode. Current flows through the
patient body from one of the active electrodes to the reference electrodes. Injected current is
measured on the small resistor by the the first Analog to digital Converter (ADC!) of the
microcontroller. The microcontroller measures voltage and current data set quadratures from 5
kHz up to 1 MHz for all electrodes in the array using MUX OUT and ADC2 and transfers data
set to the PC which reconstructs image and shows contact map three depths 2, 5, 8 mm on
screen for 10 and 50 kHz.
Scanning circular probe which is 3 cm in diameter consisting of 64 silver- silver chloride (Ag-
AgCl) was constructed. Each silver electrode is 1 mm in diameter arranged in an 8 x 8 matrix;
they are fixed in headers to keep the arranged matrix in their order and also offered an isolation
space of 2 mm between each silver electrode. The probe structure is then embedded in a mixture
of 10 ml araldite, 10 ml of dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DDSA), and 4 drops per 5 ml of benzyl
dimethylamine BDMA (accelerator). The mixture is placed in oven for 24 hours at temperature
of 60 ͦC for polymerization as shown in figures 2 (A&B)
Reference probe is placed on the wrest of the same side of the measured thyroid lobe, for
example it will be placed on the right wrest when measuring the right thyroid lobe. It is a
clamped shape. Electrolytic gel is applied to both probes in the scanning process to ensure the
best conductivity.
(a) (b)
Figure 2: Scanning probe. (a) top view showing silver electrodes. (b) side view of the probe and the
connecting wires.
System software
Bioimpedance instrument (Figure 3) used in the present study operates through two operational
modes: Image mode acts as a scanning system based on the bioelectrical characteristics of a
target mass. Multi-frequency contrast is used to generate a tomographic image for the scanned
mass and R-C mode which has the ability to measure both the resistance and the capacitance of
the target mass. Image mode mechanism is basically split into two subsystems; data acquisition
system and image reconstruction system. The digital value of the voltage across each electrode is
transmitted via the built-in USB module. This digital data is used to generate the tomographic
image on the target computer. Image reconstruction system is responsible for: Ordering of
electrode set data elements, Performing 2D linear data interpolation between basic data elements,

44
The developed software is split into two main interconnected components:
1 - Data acquisition software (namely: Bio-Image Scanner V2.0) was developed using (Microsoft
Visual Basic .NET) to: Control the hardware data acquisition system via the computer’s USB
HID (Human Interface Device) and collect and store data elements corresponding to each
member of the electrode set. When the data stream ends, the software starts generating image.
2 - Image generating software (namely: plot_impedance.exe) was developed using (MATLAB
7.5) to reorder imported data elements, perform linear data interpolation and generate a
tomographic image using a predefined color code.
Dielectric measurements:
A 5 DC volt generated from the power supply circuit is applied to the electrode system. Using
the peak detector circuit, the values of the equivalent resistance (R) and capacitance (C) is
calculated for each electrode. Both R and C calculated values are used to calculate the Reactance
(Xc) and Impedance (Z).The measured values were used to calculate permittivity έ and
conductivity σ of the thyroid tissue.
Figure 3: Bioimpedance instrument
RESULTS
To ensure the accuracy of the readings and images obtained from the new bioimpedance
instrument , a second diagnostic method was applied using ultrasound. Both methods were
applied to image the neck of 20 goitre patients with its different stages and 20 normal female
cases (control) of 40-50 years of age. Written consent was taken from the participant persons
following a protocol approved by ethics commute of Medical Research Institute, Alexandria
University. The data acquisition time was approximately 15 seconds for each scan, with an image
reconstruction time of 32 seconds and 48 seconds for generating the desired parameters. Several
calculations were obtained leading to enumerous electrical identification of the thyroid tissue and
its abnormalities. Abnormal tissues exhibit sharply different bioelectrical properties compared
with the normal tissues. In an early stage of tumor tissue, abnormalities start to develop in
cellular water/electrolyte content, cell membrane permeability, and orientation/packing density
of cells. these changes introduce bioimpedance abnormalities that can be detected by using this
suggested bioimpedance instrument.

45
A. Image reconstruction of thyroid tissues:-
Normal thyroid tissues: Images obtained using BI and ultrasonography show a great similarity (Figure 4)
Figure 4: Normal tissue of thyroid gland. (a) BI image. (b) US image.
Thyroid Tumor
Images obtained from a woman with thyroid tumor using BI instrument and ultrasonography using an HDI
3000 ATL ultrasound machine are shown in Figure 5. The images indicated the presence of sizable all
defined, nodule in right thyroid lobe with irregular bounders. In the BI image (figure 5a), the orange to dark
red regions resembles a calcified tissue in the thyroid gland which is similar in shape to that present in the
ultrasound image (figure 5b).
Figure 5: Image of thyroid gland suspicious nodule. (a) BI image. (b) US image.
Active thyroid gland
These images show active thyroid gland (figure 6) forming a calcified nodule in the left thyroid lob
Figure 6: Calcified nodule in thyroid gland. (a) BI image. (b) US image.

46
Figure 7 shows images of the left thyroid lobe which is mildly enlarged showing multiple
variable sized nodules
Figure 7: Enlarged active thyroid left lobe. (a) BI image. (b) US image.
B. Characterization of thyroid tissues
Multi-frequency range from 5000 Hz up to 1 MHz electrical properties of a specific area of both
control and tumor tissues in the thyroid gland were measured for the quantitative analysis of the
obtained images, frequencies were entered manually from the function generator used.
Measurements were repeated and calculated only for one point of the probe; the point selected is
E5 for its centre location in the probe matrix.Since different tissues exhibit different bioelectrical
characteristics, BI was able to differentiate between normal and abnormal tissues through
measuring their resistance values. Results indicated that tumorous tissue has higher resistance
than that of normal tissue with a wide range (Figure 8). Capacitance measurements show that
capacitance values of tumor tissues is slightly higher than that of normal tissue (figure 9)
Figure 8: The thyroid resistance curve normal case abnormal case with tumor in thyroid tissue.

47
Figure 9: Thyroid capacitance (a) normal thyroid gland. (b) tumor in thyroid tissue.
Figure 10 complex diargam between real and imaginary permittivity of (a) normal and (b) tumor thyroid
tissues.
In figure 11 representation of the phase spectra (ф)of normal thyroid tissues proved that it is
double the phase spectra of tumor tissue.
Figure 11: Phase spectra along frequency range from 5000 Hz to 1MHz of thyroid gland. (a) Phase spectra
in case control tissue. (b) Phase spectra in abnormal tumorous patient.

48
DISCUSSION
The study of human body composition in health and disease is of interest in both research and
clinical practice. Every organ in the man’s body posses its own electrical conductance
characteristics. Accurate measurement of the impedance of bio-materials over a broad frequency
range yields valuable information about the electrical properties of the material. The primary aim
of this study was to develop an electrical bioimpedance tomography system for imaging thyroid
gland. Bioimpedance is a non-destructive technique which makes use of low level electrical
signals such as those which are already present in bio-materials. Accurate measurement of the
impedance of bio-materials over a broad frequency range yields valuable information about the
electrical properties of the material. The present study demonstrates that measurement of EIS
signal may provide useful supplementary information to assist in classifying between malignant
and benign thyroid nodules and lead to a reduction in the number of unnecessary thyroid
surgeries. The results showed that bioimpedance measurements are able to differentiate between
normal and abnormal tissues through measuring their resistance values. Images obtained using
EIT imaging system and ultrasonography show a great similarity for both normal and tumor
thyroid glands.
In the present work, design and construction of a home-made bioimpedance instrument was
achieved to produce an image and give electrical information about the electrical characteristics
of thyroid gland. The study was conducted on two groups of participants: group A (control)
consisting of 20 normal cases and group B (experimental) consisting of 20 goiter patients in
different stages.The BI measures is done through the applying of two probes to the neck region
(scanning probe) and the rest region (reference probe) with electrolytic gel for each probe, then
the system software proceeds to reconstruct the image and calculate the dielectric measurements
on a personal computer which acts as an output display and storage for case information. This
process takes place only if a function generator is connected to the BI to ensure the presence of
required AC signal.
Images obtained from the BI were compared to images obtained from the ultrasound machine
which was used as a reference diagnostic method, results showed great similarity between the
two diagnostic images. The BI came with high resolution image due to the increase of number in
the scanning probe up to 64 electrodes Measurements and calculations agreed with previous
work and adopted the same concept that tumor tissue has higher resistance and capacitance value
than that of normal thyroid gland.
The home made instrument is low in cost, easy to apply, portable, capable of on-line monitoring
and it is safe to be used with no ionizing risk. Many parameters are measured and calculated lead
to the following observations that undergoes conclusions of many previous work:
• There are significant differences between the electrical impedance of the cancerous and
healthy tissues so EIS may consider a promise which could be used in differentiating of
the thyroid nodules
• Bioelectrical impedance technique afford a fast, simple, accurate, valid and reliable
method for thyroid gland imaging
• EIS hardware and software optimization could be improved upon the already favorable
negative predictive value in indeterminate thyroid nodules.The results manifest how
changes in the electrical properties of the thyroid gland tissues associated with the

49
tissues abnormality:-
• Resistance of tumor tissue is much higher than resistance of normal thyroid gland, with
clear significant difference, while the resistance of the calcified tissue and the nodules
presented in the thyroid are slightly higher than normal resistance tissue
• Capacitance of tumor tissue, calcified tissue, nodules in the thyroid gland slightly differs
from the capacitance value of the normal thyroid gland.
• Capacitive Reactance of tumor tissue is of slight difference below the capacitive
reactance of normal thyroid tissue as it depends in its calculation on the same slight
difference in capacitance.
• Relative to resistance observations conductance of normal tissue is much higher than
conductance values of tumor tissue which is extremely low.
• Impedance of normal thyroid tissue is very low compared to impedance values calculated
of tumor tissue, as it is of very high impedance value.
• The phase spectra of normal thyroid tissues proved to be double the phase spectra of
tumor tissue.
• Conductivity of normal thyroid tissue is very high while conductivity of tumor tissue is
very low.
• Realtive permittivity of tumor tissue increased with the increase in resistance and
recorded its highest measurement for both tissues at the highest resistance value which
was 305073 for the tumor tissue and 22530 for the normal tissue.
• Imaginary conductivity of normal thyroid gland didn’t reach 3000 S/m while the
imaginary conductivity of the tumor tissue in the thyroid gland exceeded 5000 si/m.
All the above measurements and calculations were estimated at multi-frequency range from 5000
Hz up to 1MHz. The results of this study will serve as basis for future EIT studies. If these
results are confirmed in large-scale trials, EIS may be consider as an important part of the
evaluation of thyroid nodules.
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