Induced current bio-impedance technique for monitoring cryosurgery procedure in a two-dimensional head model using generalized coordinate systems

In the noninvasive bio-impedance technique, small amplitude currents are applied to the body and the developing potentials on its surface are measured. This noninvasive technique is used to monitor physiological and pathological processes, which alter the values or the spatial distribution of the electrical impedance inside the human body. A possible application of the bio-impedance technique is monitoring brain cryosurgery procedure-a surgical technique that employs freezing to destroy undesirable tissues. A numerical solver was developed to evaluate the ability of an induced-current bio-impedance system to monitor the growth of the frozen tissue inside the head in simulation. The forward-problem bio-impedance solver, which is based on the finite volume method in generalized two-dimensional (2-D) coordinate systems, was validated by a comparison to a known analytical solution for body-fitted and Cartesian meshing grids. The sensitivity of the developed surface potential to the ice-ball area was examined using a 2-D head model geometry, and was found to range between 0.8/spl times/10/sup -2/ and 1.68/spl times/10/sup -2/ (relative potential difference/mm/sup 2/), depending on the relative positioning of the excitation coil and the head. The maximal sensitivity was achieved when the coil was located at the geometrical center of the model.