Measuring device for bioimpedance spectroscopy of the breast
AssigneeXeramed GmbH
InventorsJörg GRABOW, Horst SCHWAB
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bioimpedance measuring device for measuring breast tissue is provided, comprising a control unit and at least one measuring applicator which comprises at least four contact electrodes which are connected or connectable to the control unit via electrical lines, wherein the control unit is designed to generate an alternating current electrical signal and to output it to two of the at least four contact electrodes so that these act as current electrodes, and to receive an alternating voltage signal between two of the at least four contact electrodes, so that these act as voltage electrodes, wherein at least two of the contact electrodes which act as voltage electrodes do not simultaneously act as current electrodes.
Claims20
Bioimpedance measuring device for measuring breast tissue, comprising a control unit and at least one measuring applicator having a first, a second, a third and a fourth contact electrode, which are arranged at the four corners of a square and which are or can be connected to the control unit via electrical lines, wherein the control unit is configured to
- generating an alternating current electrical signal and outputting it to two of the four contact electrodes so that they function as current electrodes, and
- receiving an alternating voltage electrical signal between two of the four contact electrodes so that they function as voltage electrodes,
- wherein at least two of the contact electrodes functioning as voltage electrodes do not simultaneously function as current electrodes,
- the control unit being further configured to apply an alternating electrical current signal in succession
- simultaneously to the first and second contact electrodes,
- simultaneously to the first and third contact electrodes,
- simultaneously to the first and fourth contact electrodes,
- simultaneously to the second and third contact electrodes,
- simultaneously to the second and fourth contact electrodes,
- simultaneously to the third and fourth contact electrodes,
- the control unit comprises a computing unit that is configured to calculate a spatial impedance distribution of the breast tissue under examination from the alternating voltage signals recorded with different electrode configurations.
Method for recording a bioimpedance profile of human breast tissue, comprising the steps of:
- applying a measuring applicator having four contact electrodes to the breast tissue to be examined,
- feeding an alternating current signal via two of the four contact electrodes, which act as current electrodes, and
- recording an alternating voltage signal via two of the four contact electrodes, which act as voltage electrodes,
- wherein a frequency of the alternating current signal is carried over a predetermined frequency range, and
- wherein a function of each of the four contact electrodes is alternated between current electrode and voltage electrode, wherein the measurement applicator comprises four contact electrodes arranged at the corners of a square, and wherein
- in a first measuring interval, a first and a second contact electrode function as current electrode and a third and a fourth contact electrode function as voltage electrode,
- in a second measuring interval, the first and the third contact electrode function as current electrode and the second and the fourth contact electrode function as voltage electrode,
- in a third measuring interval, the first and fourth contact electrodes act as current electrodes and the second and third contact electrodes act as voltage electrodes,
- in a fourth measuring interval, the second and third contact electrodes act as current electrodes and the first and fourth contact electrodes act as voltage electrodes,
- in a fifth measuring interval, the second and fourth contact electrodes function as current electrodes, and the first and third contact electrodes function as voltage electrodes, and
- in a sixth measuring interval, the third and fourth contact electrodes function as current electrodes, and the first and second contact electrodes function as voltage electrodes, and wherein
- a spatial impedance distribution of the examined breast tissue is calculated by means of a computing unit from the alternating voltage signals recorded with different electrode configurations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.