Sector sensor array technique for high conductivity materials imaging in magnetic induction tomography

BACKGROUND: Magnetic induction tomography (MIT) is a tomographic imaging technique, which has potential applications in security, industry, and medicine. Typically, sensors form a closed structure around the object. However, the measurement cannot be achieved using a closed sensor array in the process of severe brain trauma nursing and the neurosurgery operation. RESULTS: The new sector sensor array magnetic induction tomography (SMIT) system is developed to realize real-time monitoring in the treatment of the brain. The functions of the drive coil and the sensor coil are separated in this system. The detection sensitivity of the imaging region boundary is analyzed through simulation. The sensor array locates on the high detection-sensitivity area, and the low sensitivity detection area is reserved for operation and clinical equipment. The sensor array received the energy of the signal accounts for reach 90% of the total energy. The integrity measuring data are obtained using a rotating scan in the system. In the experiment, we analyze the effects that system parameters have on the quality of imaging, for example, the scan step size, the number of sensors, the coverage angle of the sensor array and the scan angle. The experiment result provides a reference for the SMIT system design under a particular condition. In the complete measurement, the SMIT system reconstructs the images of center goal and margin goal, and the actual images have high peak signal-to-noise ratio. CONCLUSIONS: The SMIT system can rebuild the conductivity distribution of the imaging region using incomplete space. In rotation measurement, the system provides a working place for clinical care. The flexible design of the system based on the experiment result makes the different treatment for brain injury own matched SMIT equipment.