Analytical solution to the three-dimensional head eit forward problem: Calculation and simulation with a 4-layer spherical volume conductor

Issue title: Selected Papers from the 14th International Symposium on Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics (ISEM 2009), Part I

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Xu, Zheng^{a; *} | Luo, Haijun^a | Wang, Junfeng^a | He, Wei^a

Affiliations: [a] State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment & System Security and New Technology, The Electrical Engineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, People's Republic of China

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. Corresponding author. E-mail: pinexz@yahoo.com.cn

Abstract: A 4-layer concentric spherical model of human head was built to simulate the head EIT forward problem. The layers from outside to inside are scalp, skull, CFS (Cerebrospinal fluid) and brain tissue, respectively. A pair of point current sources placed on the outmost layer is regarded as the boundary condition, and an analytical method of separation of variables was employed to solve the problem. The electric potentials of different current injecting angles were calculated and the equipotential lines were drawn. The simulation results revealed that, the increment of the brain tissue conductivity causes decrease of the magnitude of both real and imaginary parts of the electric potential on the scalp. The frequency property of the model was simulated, when the exciting frequency was increased, the imaginary part of the electric potential increased significantly. These analytical solutions could be used to analyze the head EIT problems and check the numerical solutions calculated from FEM or BEM.

Keywords: Analytical solution, separation of variables, head EIT forward problem

DOI: 10.3233/JAE-2010-1183

Journal: International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, vol. 33, no. 1-2, pp. 759-768, 2010