Magneto-Acoustic-Electrical Tomography

Characteristics

Spatial Resolution
1 mm
Temporal Resolution
5 seconds
Maturity
Research
Invasiveness
Non-invasive

External magnetic induction and ultrasound detection without tissue penetration

Summary
Magneto-Acoustic-Electrical Tomography
Tags
Magnetic
Acoustic
Electric
Electromagnetic

Details

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. Typical spatial resolution reaches the millimeter scale (∼1 mm), while temporal resolution is on the order of seconds, making MAET suitable for dynamic studies of tissue function and pathology. Current research focuses on improving signal‐to‐noise ratio, optimizing transducer–magnet–electrode configurations, and advancing reconstruction algorithms.

Magneto-Acoustic-Electrical Tomography

Ultrasound Transducer
Static Magnetic Field
Lorentz Force
Electric Potential
Electrode Detector

Literature Review

TitleSpatial Res.Temporal Res.SubjectsSummary

A 2‑D MAET method to detect conductivity variation using multifocus imaging (2018)

Chirp‑excited ultrasound and multifocus strategy retrieve 2‑D conductivity maps with ~0.6 mm precision in gelatin phantoms.

0.6 mm10 ms per linePhantomsChirp‑excited ultrasound and multifocus strategy retrieve 2‑D conductivity maps with ~0.6 mm precision in gelatin phantoms.

General principle and optimisation of magneto‑acousto‑electrical tomography (2023)

Presents unified MAET forward/inverse models, evaluates image distortion and proposes coded‑excitation to boost SNR.

0.5–1 mm (sim)Simulation & theoryPresents unified MAET forward/inverse models, evaluates image distortion and proposes coded‑excitation to boost SNR.

3‑D MAET with coded excitation and linear‑array detection (2023)

Phantom validation of a 3‑D MAET system achieving ~1 mm resolution with a single linear ultrasound array.

1 mm50 ms per slicePhantomsPhantom validation of a 3‑D MAET system achieving ~1 mm resolution with a single linear ultrasound array.