Measurement system for examining a section of tissue on a patient and the use of a measurement system of this type

• US 7,729,756 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Scholz, Bernhard, Mertelmeier, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roy; Baisakhi
• Application Number:
  US10/181,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20030023185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,421 Days
• Field of Search: 600/547, 600/549, 600504-506, 600/508, 600/536, 600/437, 600/407, 600/409, 600/372, 600/484, 600/345, 600/374, 600/554, 600/393, 324/600, 324/603, 324/605, 324/609, 324/629, 607/62, 607/148
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0091 for mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0536 Impedance imaging, e.g. by tomography

Abstract

A measurement system for examining a section of tissue on a patient in which electric current and/or voltages are applied to a patient in at least one location and are measured on the section of tissue to be examined by at least one electrode of a contact surface of the measurement system. As a result, conclusions can be drawn about the interior of the section of tissue to be examined. The electrode is at least partially surrounded by a conductor element for contacting with a potential which deviates from that of the conductor element.

Claims

1. A measuring arrangement for examining a tissue section of a patient, comprising:

an electrode array in a plane and arranged to directly contact a surface of a tissue section of a patient;

a signal source;

a measuring circuit;

potential means;

the signal source subjecting the tissue section via direct contact by at least one electrode of the electrode array to electrical currents and/or voltages, which the measuring circuit measures on at least one electrode of the electrode array; and

an electrical conductor element that is coplanar with said electrode array, said electrical conductor element being attached to and surrounding a periphery of said electrode array, said potential means applying a potential to said electrical conductor element that differs from the potential of the electrodes of the electrode array.

2. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which a potential that is less than the potential of the electrodes is applied to the conductor element by the potential means.

3. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the conductor element (2) is designed as a metal element.

4. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the conductor element (2) is designed as a plastic element.

5. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one further conductor element (2) is provided.

6. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 5, in which the potential means apply different potentials to the individual conductor elements (2).

7. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 6, in which the electrode on which the measuring circuit measures is at a potential of 0 mV, and the potential means apply a potential that is less than 0 mV and not below −

5 mV to an inner conductor element, and they apply a potential of −

15 mV to an outer conductor element.

8. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 6, in which the potential means adjust the potentials of the individual conductor elements as a function of the type and size of the tissue section to be examined.

9. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 5, in which the conductor elements (2) are designed with differing geometries.

10. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 9, in which the conductor elements (2) have a differing width (3).

11. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 9, whose electrode array has at least one local conductor element (4).

12. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 11, in which the local conductor element (4) is arranged in a corner region (5) of the electrode array.

13. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 11, in which a potential that differs from the potential of a conductor element and from the potential of the electrodes is applied to a local conductor element by the potential means.

14. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 11, in which the potential means adjust the potentials of the individual local conductor elements as a function of the type and size of the tissue section to be examined.

15. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one conductor element (2) is made of a material with limited conductivity in order to form locally differing potentials.

16. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 15, in which a conductor element (2) is formed from a material with limited conductivity as a flat ohmic impedance.

17. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 15, in which a conductor element (2) made of a material with limited conductivity has edges (9 and 10), on which the potential means apply differing potentials to it.

18. The measuring arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrode array and the electrical conductor element are arranged and adapted to directly contact a same tissue section of the patient.

19. A measuring arrangement for examining a tissue section of a patient, comprising:

a matrix of m by n plural first electrodes in a plane and that are electrically insulated from each other, each of m and n being greater than one;

a second electrode that is coplanar with said matrix and completely surrounding and directly attached to said matrix around an entire periphery of said matrix and being electrically insulated from said first electrodes, said first electrodes and said second electrode being arranged and adapted to directly contact a same surface of a same tissue section of a patient;

a signal source connected to said first electrodes and that applies an electrical signal through direct contact by at least one of said first electrodes to the patient;

a measuring circuit that is connected to said first electrodes and measures the electrical signal thereon; and

a source of an electrical potential that is less than an electrical potential of said first electrodes, said source being connected to said second electrode.

20. The arrangement of claim 19, further comprising a further source of electrical potential that is less than the electrical potential of said second electrode, and a third electrode at least partially surrounding said second electrode and electrically insulated from said first and second electrodes, said third electrode being connected to said further source.

21. The arrangement of claim 19, further comprising a further source of electrical potential that is less than the electrical potential of said second electrode, and a local conductor element at a corner of said second electrode and electrically insulated from said first and second electrodes, said local conductor element being connected to said further source.

22. The arrangement of claim 19, further comprising a further source of electrical potential that is less than the electrical potential of said second electrode, and wherein said source is connected to an inner edge of said second electrode and said further source is connected to an outer edge of said second electrode.

23. The arrangement of claim 19, wherein the plane is flat.

24. A measuring arrangement for examining a tissue section of a patient, comprising:

an electrode array that is arranged to directly contact a surface of a tissue section of a patient;

a signal source;

a measuring circuit;

potential means; and

an electrical conductor element that is directly attached to and surrounds a periphery of said electrode array and that is electrically insulated from said electrode array, said potential means applying a potential to said electrical conductor element that differs from the potential of the electrodes of the electrode array, said electrical conductor element being arranged to directly contact the same surface of the same tissue section directly contacted by said electrode array,

wherein the signal source subjects the tissue section via direct contact by at least one electrode of the electrode array to electrical currents and/or voltages that the measuring circuit measures on at least one electrode of the electrode array.