Principle Investigator: Dr. Muhammad Abdul Kadir , Professor & Chairman , Department of Biomedical Physics & Technology
Co-Investigator: Md. Ibrahim Al Imran
Duration: 1 year
Amount: BDT 2,50,000
Funding Authority: Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST)
Pulmonary edema, characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, poses significant health risks and is commonly associated with conditions such as heart failure, pneumonia, sepsis, trauma, and kidney failure. The current diagnostic modalities for assessing pulmonary edema include auscultation, chest X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasonography. However, these methods either involve ionizing radiation or not suitable for long term continuous monitoring. Therefore, a non-invasive and nonionizing method capable of real-time and continuous monitoring is preferred. This research investigated the utility of electrical bioimpedance methods in the monitoring of lung fluid based on finite element based modelling studies. Firstly, CT images of human subjects was used to build a realistic thorax model. Different parts of human thorax including airways, ribcage, lungs, soft tissue was segmented using a segmentation software Materialize Mimics. This segmented model was then imported into the finite element simulation software Comsol Multiphysics, where electrical impedance computations were performed. Impedance was measured at various vertical levels on thorax under conditions of healthy, air-filled lungs and lungs with fluid in the lower lobe. Results showed a significant reduction in impedance in the presence of fluid, particularly at the vertical levels directly above the fluid accumulation. The difference in impedance is very low as the electrodes were moved away from the fluid pocket, demonstrating the localized impact of fluid on impedance values. These findings suggest that bioimpedance is a sensitive, non-invasive tool for monitoring fluid in the lungs.