A new clinical data and image analysis tool for monitoring neonatal lung function

Abstract

Disorders of lung growth, maturation and control of breathing are among the most important challenges faced by the pediatric pulmonologists and neonatologists. Objective, non-invasive measures, suitable for use in small infants, are urgently required to characterise the nature and severity of lung disease in early life. Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) has the potential to provide these; however the data must be analysed and presented in a manner that clinicians can utilise to obtain quantitative data to aid interpretation and to relate the functional imaging of ventilation distribution to other lung function results. We present a new data processing interface, designed to address the clinical requirements of imaging neonatal lung function. This incorporates breath detection software and end-expiratory gated baseline correction. Boundary voltage data are presented as Waterfall plots, allowing much temporal-spatial information to be displayed in a very compact manner, immune from reconstruction artifacts. Data are presented for an unsedated neonate, showing posture dependant changes in regional ventilation and temporal differences between tidal and maximal breaths. Images are also produced, using a truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) reconstruction algorithm. Images are also produced, based on a truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) reconstruction algorithm. © Springer-Verlag 2007.