Microwave spectroscopy of myocardial ischemia and infarction. 2. Biophysical reconstruction

The proposed dielectrical relaxation model of the myocardium in the microwa ve spectrum has been verified both on test solutions and on normal canine m yocardium. Furthermore, the model was utilized to reconstruct the changes i n tissue properties (including myocardial bulk resistance and water content ) following myocardial acute ischemia and chronic infarction. It was shown that the reconstructed myocardial resistance and water content correlate dy namically with the process of the development of acute myocardial ischemic injury. in chronic cases the reconstructed resistance and water content of infarcted myocardium are significantly different from that of normal myocar dium: the resistance is lower and water content is higher than in normal my ocardium. (C) 2000 Biomedical Engineering Society. [S0090-6964(00)00201-0].