Abstract: A system for diagnosing the possibility of disease in one of a first body part and a second substantially similar body part by impedance measurements is described. The system includes an impedance module for calculating impedances of corresponding segments of the first and second body parts from current and voltage signals. The measured impedances are corrected to account for the effect of stray impedances arising from non-body part sources.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a body part is described. The method is based on a set of electrical impedance measurements taken on the surface of a body part and a representation of the body part in the form of a network of impedances that would result in the same surface measurements as the actual body part. The system includes an electrical data unit for measuring electrical data of the body part, the electrical data unit having a plurality of Ne electrodes. The system also includes a network module for representing the body part by a network, the network having external nodes and internal nodes connected by current pathways. The system further includes an electrical properties module for determining electrical properties of the pathways using the measured electrical data, and a diagnosis module for utilizing the electrical properties to diagnose the possibility of disease in the body part.

Abstract: A breast electrode array and method of analysis for detecting and diagnosing diseases. In particular, the electrode array has a body, a plurality of flexible arms extending from the body, and a plurality of outer electrodes provided by the plurality of flexible arms, and a plurality of inner electrodes provided on at least one of the flexible arms and positioned partway between the body and the outer electrodes, and the outer electrodes and the inner electrodes are arranged on the arms to obtain impedance measurements between respective electrodes. Diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are also provided, utilizing the different topologies created by the inner and outer electrodes when taking impedance measurements.

Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing the possibility of disease by making electrical measurements in one of a first body part and a second substantially similar body part are described. The present invention balances out differences between homologous body parts that are due to natural factors unrelated to disease, such as differences in size or symmetry between left and right breasts. Once data are prebalanced, statistical analyses can be performed on the data to diagnose disease. The system includes a normalizing module for obtaining a normalizing factors database from a screening population group to account for differences in spatial separation of impedance measurements. Once a set of normalizing factors is obtained, a prebalancing factor can be obtained that can further be used to adjust raw electrical measurements. Normalizing factors are applied to a smaller subset of measurements that are likely to better represent the body part as a whole.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring a voltage in a body part are described. The system includes a multiplexing unit, and N body leads for electrically connecting the multiplexing unit to the body part. The system also includes a controller switching unit for allowing a current to flow through the body part between two body leads, n1 and n2 of the N body leads, and a resultant voltage to be measured between two body leads, n3 and n4 of the N body leads, where n1?n2 and n3?n4, but where n1 n2 n3 and n4 need not otherwise be distinct.

Abstract: A method for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a body part is described. The method starts with a preparatory step of modeling the body part as a grid of many finite elements, then calculating an electrical property between two finite elements at which current from two corresponding electrodes flows through the body part. This is termed the weight (influence) of the element. With this baseline information, electrical impedance measurements made at the plurality of electrodes on the periphery of the body part can be used in a diagnostic module to calculate a Weighted Element Value (WEVal) for each element. In a preferred embodiment of invention, the difference in WEVal magnitude between corresponding elements of homologous body parts serves as an indicator of the presence of disease.

Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing the possibility of disease by making electrical measurements in one of a first body part and a second substantially similar body part are described. The present invention balances out differences between homologous body parts that are due to natural factors unrelated to disease, such as differences in size or symmetry between left and right breasts. Once data are prebalanced, statistical analyses can be performed on the data to diagnose disease. The system includes a normalizing module for obtaining a normalizing factors database from a screening population group to account for differences in spatial separation of impedance measurements. Once a set of normalizing factors is obtained, a prebalancing factor can be obtained that can further be used to adjust raw electrical measurements. Normalizing factors are applied to a smaller subset of measurements that are likely to better represent the body part as a whole.

Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing the possibility of disease in a body part is described. The system includes an electrode array containing a plurality of electrodes capable of being electrically coupled to the body part. A first measurement unit makes an electrode assessment measurement with the electrode array. An electrode assessment module determines whether the plurality of electrodes are suitably coupled to the body part based on the electrode assessment measurement. If there is suitable coupling, a second measurement unit makes a diagnosis measurement with the electrode array. An electrical property module obtains an electrical property of the body part, such as impedance, based on the diagnosis measurement. A diagnosis module diagnoses the possibility of disease based on the measured electrical property.

Abstract: A method for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a body part is described. The method starts with a preparatory step of modeling the body part as a grid of many finite elements, then calculating the effect of the electrical property of each finite element at any one of a plurality of electrodes on the periphery of the body part as a function of the position of the finite element within the grid. This is termed the weight (influence) of the element. With this baseline information, electrical impedance measurements made at the plurality of electrodes on the periphery of the body part can be used in a diagnostic module to calculate a Weighted Element Value (WEVal) for each element. In a preferred embodiment of invention, the difference in WEVal magnitude between corresponding elements of homologous body parts serves as an indicator of the presence of disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.

Abstract: A breast electrode array and method of analysis for detecting and diagnosing diseases. In particular, the electrode array has a body, a plurality of flexible arms extending from the body, and a plurality of outer electrodes provided by the plurality of flexible arms, and a plurality of inner electrodes provided on at least one of the flexible arms and positioned partway between the body and the outer electrodes, and the outer electrodes and the inner electrodes are arranged on the arms to obtain impedance measurements between respective electrodes. Diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are also provided, utilizing the different topologies created by the inner and outer electrodes when taking impedance measurements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for detecting and diagnosing disease states in a living organism by using a plurality of electrical impedance measurements. In particular, the invention provides for an improved electrode array for diagnosing the presence of a disease state in the human breast, and discloses a method of application of the array to the breast that ensures that the multiplicity of impedance measurements obtained from a first body part correspond as precisely and reproducibly as possible to the multiplicity of impedance measurements that are obtained from another, homologous, second body part. A number of diagnostic methods based on homologous electrical difference analysis are disclosed, including the calculation of a number of metrics used to indicate disease states by comparison with pre-established threshold values, and the construction of a number of graphical displays for indicating the location of disease to a body part sector.