Abstract: The present invention refers to a module (1) to capture signals from the body of a patient (animal or human), comprising at least one sensor to capture cardiac electrical signals (4) and at least one sensor to capture body impedance signals (5). This invention also refers to a module (1) to capture signals from the body of a patient (animal or human), comprising at least one sensor (8) capable of simultaneously capturing cardiac electrical signals and/or body impedance signals.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system of electrodes used for transdermal conduction of electrical signals and a method of use thereof, the system comprising a plurality of electrode parts connected by means of electrical conductors to electric impedance tomography apparatuses, as well as other devices, the parts being secured to an outer side of a flexible and porous blade coated on both sides thereof by layers of electrically conductive and adhesive materials, such electrically conductive and adhesive materials being in mutual contact through the pores of the blade, the inner face of the latter being removably secured, by means of adhesion, to the patient. The invention comprises means for positioning the electrode parts, as well as means for external protection thereof and of their respective conductors.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to simplify information obtained through electrical impedance tomography, the method comprising the steps of data collection through electrical impedance tomography and the respective processing thereof; the application of at least one algorithm to detect conditions, trends and specific events, so as to allow the identification of at least one region of interest as well as the production of an image including at least such region, which can be pre-defined or defined by the user. The graphical representation of the region of interest can be obtained through the use of a color, texture, figure, contour, etc. The data processed can consist of the impedance values or data derived thereof.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system of electrodes used for transdermal conduction of electrical signals and a method of use thereof, the system comprising a plurality of electrode parts connected by means of electrical conductors to electric impedance tomography apparatuses, as well as other devices, the parts being secured to an outer side of a flexible and porous blade coated on both sides thereof by layers of electrically conductive and adhesive materials, such electrically conductive and adhesive materials being in mutual contact through the pores of the blade, the inner face of the latter being removably secured, by means of adhesion, to the patient. The invention comprises means for positioning the electrode parts, as well as means for external protection thereof and of their respective conductors.

Abstract: An electrode assembly for electrical impedance tomography comprising a plurality of different electrode modules, each containing a support strap made of a flexible material that presents a reduced longitudinal deformability and carrying a predetermined number of electrodes, each support strap being dimensioned to be seated and retained onto a respective extension portion of a body segment of a patient. Each electrode module presents the number of electrodes and a distance “De” between each two consecutive electrodes predetermined as a function of a specific operational pattern to be obtained from each electrode module. The assembly can further comprise an electrical conducting cable having an end connected to a monitoring apparatus and a free end provided with a connector to be coupled to a respective electrode of an electrode module.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method and an equipment for monitoring current drained by a grounding electrode in an electric impedance tomography system. The grounding electrode and a set of electrodes may be simultaneously applied to a patient in an electric impedance tomography apparatus. The equipment may be configured to convert current into a voltage signal and amplify, demodulate, and filter the voltage signal in order to recover its almost continuous component. The equipment may further be configured to compare the value of the continuous component with limit/threshold values proportional to an intensity of an excitation current applied to the set of electrodes. In addition to detecting the disconnection of the grounding electrode, the comparison may also detect the disconnection of one or more tomography electrodes, as well as unbalance in the currents injected through the electrodes and the contact of the patient with voltage sources or conductive bodies.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method for carrying out data collection on electrodes placed on a body for subsequent processing of an electrical impedance tomography image of a corresponding part of said body. In order to improve the resolution of electrical impedance tomography systems without noticeably affecting the signal-to-noise ratio, the method according to the invention comprises the steps of placing the electrodes on a peripheral line around the body, applying a current pattern from a current source to at least one pair of electrodes, and measuring differential potentials between pairs of electrodes, wherein at least one intermediate electrode lies in between each pair of electrodes for measuring the differential potentials and the differential potentials of one current pattern for the subsequent image processing refer to at least three different pairs of electrodes with no electrode used more than twice for each current pattern.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system of electrodes used for transdermal conduction of electric signals and a method of use thereof, the said system comprising a plurality of electrode parts (17, 58, 58?) connected by means of electrical conductors (17?, 68) to electric impedance tomography apparatuses, as well as other devices, the said parts being secured to the outer side (15a, 54a, 54?a) of a flexible and porous blade (15, 54c, 51?) coated on both sides thereof by layers of electrically conductive and adhesive materials, such electrically conductive materials being in mutual contact through the pores (74) of the said blade, the inner face of the latter being removably secured, by means of adhesion, to the skin of the patient (65). The invention comprises means for positioning the said electrode parts, as well as means for external protection thereof and of their respective conductors.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method and an equipment for monitoring the current drained by the grounding electrode in an electric impedance tomography system, the said grounding electrode (16) and the set of electrodes (11) being simultaneously applied to a patient (12) in an electric impedance tomography apparatus (14, 15), comprising the conversion of the said current into a voltage signal (41) and the amplification, demodulation and filtering thereof, in order to recover its almost continuous component (44, 45, 46, 47, 48) and the comparison of the value of the latter with limit/threshold values (v1, v3, v4, v6) proportional to the intensity of the excitation current applied to the said set of electrodes.