Electrical Impedance Tomography

Abstract Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a medical imaging technique that uses electrical stimulations and measurements at body‐surface electrodes. From these data, images of the distribution of conductivity within the body are calculated by solving an inverse problem. EIT has the advantage of producing high temporal resolution data, while being relatively low cost, noninvasive, small, and not using ionizing radiation. On the other hand, EIT has disadvantages in providing low spatial resolution and being sensitive to changes at the electrodes. EIT is currently being used clinically for monitoring of ventilated patients and is also being actively researched for applications such as cardiovascular flows and pressures, brain and nervous activity, cancer screening, and monitoring of gastrointestinal flows. EIT is similar to the electrical resistance tomography used in geophysical and process monitoring. This article reviews EIT from the point of view of its applications as well as image generation and interpretation.