A comparison of neonatal and adult lung impedances derived from EIT images

An objective method of extracting respiratory data from lung images is pres ented, together with a technique for automatically generating regions of in terest delineating the anterior and posterior regions of the lungs. The met hod is used to extract data on the change in lung impedance with frequency, and on calculated Cole parameters, from 19 normal neonates (gestational ag e 32 to 42 weeks) and 8 normal adults (age 21 to 82 years). A comparison of the impedance properties of neonatal and adult lungs was made. The variati on of lung impedance with frequency in neonates, as derived from EIT images , is significantly different from that found for adults. The implications f or a model of the electrical impedance of lung tissue are discussed.