# US 10,244,962 B2 · Multi-phase flow decomposition using electrical capacitance volume tomography sensors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,244,962 B2 - Document ID: US10244962B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/885,287 - Filed: 2018-01-31 - Published: 2018-06-07 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-27 - Assignees: Tech4Imaging LLC - Applicants: Tech4Imaging LLC - Inventors: Qussai Marashdeh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10244962B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/0536: Impedance imaging, e.g. by tomography - A61B 5/004: {adapted for image acquisition of a particular organ or body part (A61B5/0082 takes precedence; arrangements for optical scanning A61B5/0062)} - A61B 5/1076: {for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters (A61B3/1005 takes precedence)} - G01F 1/708: Measuring the time taken to traverse a fixed distance - G01F 1/74: Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid - G01N 27/221: {by investigating the dielectric properties (using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26)} - G01R 27/2623: {Measuring-systems or electronic circuits (G01R27/2635, G01R27/2682 take precedence)} - A61B 5/02007: {Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance} - A61B 2562/0214: Capacitive electrodes - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract The present invention provides a system and method for multi-phase flow decomposition using electrical capacitance imaging techniques. The present invention provides a system and method to obtain permittivity distributions at a plurality of frequency markers using volume tomography image reconstruction to determine volume fraction of each phase and to produce images of the volume fraction for each phase. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition, the system comprising: a three-dimensional capacitance sensor device comprising a plurality of electrodes for placement around the vessel or the object, wherein the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device is adapted to provide electric field distribution and sensor sensitivity in three geometric dimensions; data acquisition electronics in communication with the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device for receiving input data from the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device, the data acquisition electronics adapted to output electric phase shift information at different frequencies; a processing system in communication with the data acquisition electronics, the processing system programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to: 1) determine a plurality of frequency markers for the multi-phase flow; 2) measure electric phase shift in degrees or radians between an input signal to the sensor device and the current produced at an output of the sensor device at all of the plurality of frequency markers; 3) reconstruct a three-dimensional volume-image from the electric phase shift measured at all of the plurality of frequency markers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of frequency markers are points in the frequency domain where a substantial change in the real or imaginary components of the effective dielectric constant follows or precedes them. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of frequency markers are determined by applying Maxwell-Wagner-Silars formulas. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to reconstruct volume images of each phase alone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 4, wherein a difference between two electric phase measurements at two successive frequency markers is related directly to a phase that caused a drop in real or imaginary components of effective dielectric constant between the two successive frequency markers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 5, wherein a reconstructed image based on the electric phase difference is directly related to that phase. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to reconstruct images of the real or imaginary components of effective dielectric constant at each frequency. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to reconstruct a plurality of images, each with a single phase volume fraction image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 1, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to obtain volume fractions of each phase for each voxel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 9, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to combine pixels for a single phase volume fraction to formulate an image for the phase. ### Claim 11 A system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition, the system comprising: a three-dimensional capacitance sensor device comprising a plurality of electrodes for placement around the vessel or the object, wherein the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device is adapted to provide electric field distribution and sensor sensitivity in three geometric dimensions; data acquisition electronics in communication with the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device for receiving input data from the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device, the data acquisition electronics adapted to output electric phase shift information at different frequencies; a processing system in communication with the data acquisition electronics, the processing system programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to: 1) determine a plurality of frequency markers for the multi-phase flow; 2) measure electric phase shift in degrees or radians between an input signal to the sensor device and the current produced at an output of the sensor device at all of the plurality of frequency markers; 3) reconstruct volume images of each phase individually from the electric phase shift measured at all of the plurality of frequency markers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 11, wherein a difference between two electric phase measurements at two successive frequency markers is related directly to a phase that caused a drop in real or imaginary components of effective dielectric constant between the two successive frequency markers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 12, wherein a reconstructed image based on the electric phase difference is directly related to that phase. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 11, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to reconstruct images of the real or imaginary components of the effective dielectric constant at each frequency. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 11, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to reconstruct a plurality of images, each with a single phase volume fraction image. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 11, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to obtain volume fractions of each phase for each voxel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 16, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to combine pixels for a single phase volume fraction to formulate an image for the phase. ### Claim 18 A system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition, the system comprising: a three-dimensional capacitance sensor device comprising a plurality of electrodes for placement around the vessel or the object, wherein the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device is adapted to provide electric field distribution and sensor sensitivity in three geometric dimensions; data acquisition electronics in communication with the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device for receiving input data from the three-dimensional capacitance sensor device, the data acquisition electronics adapted to output electric phase shift information at different frequencies; a processing system in communication with the data acquisition electronics, the processing system programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to: 1) determine a plurality of frequency markers for the multi-phase flow; 2) measure electric phase shift in degrees or radians between an input signal to the sensor device and the current produced at an output of the sensor device at all of the plurality of frequency markers; 3) obtain permittivity distributions at each of the frequency markers using volume tomography image reconstruction; 4) determine volume fraction of each phase at each pixel location; 5) produce images of volume fraction for each phase. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 11, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to obtain volume fractions of each phase for each voxel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system for generating a three-dimensional tomograph of a vessel interior or other object and for multi-phase flow decomposition according to claim 18, wherein the processing system is programmed with instructions for executing on the processing system to combine pixels for a single phase volume fraction to formulate an image for the phase.