Magneto-Acoustic-Electrical Tomography

Magneto-Acoustic-Electrical Tomography (MAET) is an innovative non-invasive imaging modality that synergistically combines magnetic induction and ultrasonic excitation to map tissue electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. A time‐varying ultrasound field induces tissue particle motion, which in the presence of a static magnetic field generates Lorentz forces on moving charges. These forces separate charges, producing measurable electric potentials on the tissue surface. The resulting voltage signals are captured by external electrodes and processed to reconstruct spatially‐resolved conductivity and elasticity distributions.

The technique offers complementary contrasts to conventional modalities, with enhanced sensitivity to physiological and pathological variations in conductivity and stiffness. Reported spatial resolution reaches the millimeter scale in phantom systems, while acquisition is typically reported per line or per slice rather than as true whole-volume real-time imaging. Current research focuses on improving signal‐to‐noise ratio, optimizing transducer–magnet–electrode configurations, and advancing reconstruction algorithms.