Device for processing and visualizing data of an electric impedance tomography apparatus for determining and visualizing regional ventilation delays in the lungs

Abstract

A device ( 10 ) processes and visualizes EIT data ( 3 ) of at least one region of the lungs to determine and visualize ventilation delays in the lungs of a living being. The EIT data ( 3 ) are obtained from an electrical impedance tomography apparatus ( 30 ). The device makes it possible to visualize regional ventilation delays of the lungs or of regions of the lungs in which the delay exceeds a predefined duration ( 76 ) in a joint image ( 900 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for processing and visualizing electrical impedance tomography (EIT) data of at least one region of lungs to determine and visualize ventilation delays in the lungs, wherein the EIT data are obtained from an electrical impedance tomography apparatus, the device comprising:
 a data input unit configured to receive and provide the EIT data of at least one region of the lungs;   a calculation and control unit, wherein:   the calculation and control unit is configured to determine local impedance values and impedance changes of at least one region of the lungs from the EIT data;   the calculation and control unit is configured to determine a tidal image with a local distribution of the impedance values and impedance changes in the lungs from the local impedances and local impedance changes and to generate and provide a first control signal of the lungs, which is representative of the determined tidal image of the lungs;   the calculation and control unit is configured to determine regional ventilation delays in the lungs in relation to a comparison variable related to an observation period in an observation period from the local impedances and local impedance changes using a volume/impedance criterion;   the calculation and control unit is configured to analyze the determined regional ventilation delays in the lungs to determine whether the determined regional ventilation delays exceed a predefined duration; and   the calculation and control unit is configured to generate and provide a second control signal, which represents local regions of the lungs having regional ventilation delays that exceed the predefined duration; and   an image processing and output unit, wherein:   the image processing and output unit is configured to generate, provide or output an output signal using the first control signal and the second control signal; and   the output signal represents a superimposition of the tidal image with an image of the local regions of the lungs having regional ventilation delays that exceed the predefined duration.   
     
     
         2 . A device in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a data output unit with a component for graphic visualization configured to visualize a joint image based on the output signal, the data output unit being arranged or connected in or at the device for processing and visualizing EIT data, wherein the image that represents the local regions of the lungs having regional ventilation delays exceed the predefined duration is superimposed to the tidal image in the joint image. 
     
     
         3 . A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the volume/impedance criterion is derived from the shape of a global impedance curve in the observation period in combination with a tidal volume. 
     
     
         4 . A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the duration of a phase of inhalation is selected as the observation period and the volume/impedance criterion is derived from shapes of global impedance curves of one or more phases of inhalation in combination with the tidal volume. 
     
     
         5 . A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the duration of a phase of exhalation is selected as the observation period and the volume/impedance criterion is derived from shapes of global impedance curves of one or more phases of exhalation in combination with the tidal volume. 
     
     
         6 . A device in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the duration of inhalation is determined from a shape of a global impedance curve. 
     
     
         7 . A device in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the duration of exhalation is determined from a shape of a global impedance curve. 
     
     
         8 . A device in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the duration of inhalation is determined on the basis of a selected set of impedance values. 
     
     
         9 . A device in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the duration of exhalation is determined on the basis of a selected set of impedance values. 
     
     
         10 . A device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the calculation and control unit is configured to perform a numerical stabilization of the EIT data, of the local impedances or impedance changes and to generate and provide a numerically stabilized second control signal and to use the numerically stabilized second control signal with the first control signal to generate, provide or output the output signal.