Total body water content observations using cavity - perturbation techniques

A novel technique for determining the total body water (TBW) of patients suffering with abnormal hydration, using resonant perturbation methods, has been proposed. The dielectric properties of the body are determined by placing a volunteer in a large cavity resonator and measuring the subsequent change in its resonant frequency, f/sub res/, and quality factor, Q. Utilising the relationship that moisture content correlates to these dielectric properties, it is shown that the measured response of these parameters enable the determination of whole body water content.