# Real-Time Assessment of Lung Structure and Function in CF Patients using Electrical Impedance Tomography

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $596,023

## Abstract

Project Summary
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic lung disease marked by progressive decline in lung structure and
function. Use of the gold standards of CT scans and pulmonary function tests (PFT's) to assess
lung structure and function, respectively, are hindered by the ionizing radiation applied to the
patient in CT scanning, and the inability of very young patients to perform PFTs. The goal of
this research is to determine whether electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can provide sensitive
measures of changes in lung structure and function in CF patients of all ages. To test this hypothesis
we will study the ability of EIT images and derived measures to detect structural changes through
a 3 year longitudinal study and changes pre and post-treatment for an acute PE. This project is
part of a long term goal to develop an EIT system for imaging patients with chronic lung disease.
 EIT is a noninvasive, non-ionizing functional imaging technique in which images are formed from
voltages measured on electrodes on the body arising from imperceptible applied currents. Since
EIT is a safe and portable technology with no damaging side effects, it can be used as needed. This
research builds on the results of a previous grant in which a strong correlation was demonstrated
between EIT-derived measures of pulmonary function and PFT output measures in CF patients,
and the ability to identify air trapping was demonstrated.
 In this work, novel EIT hardware and algorithms will be developed to obtain 3-D reconstructions
with current patterns that provide the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on all electrodes. The
design and validation of this improved high performance EIT system is the first specific aim.
The second specific aim is to develop algorithms in 3-D for the computation of regional aeration
and ventilation perfusion ratio (V/Q) maps in 3-D, and for the identification and quantification
of regions of air trapping and consolidation. The third aim is to determine the ability of EIT to
identify functional and structural physiological changes that occur with disease progression through
a clinical study with the following subaims: to determine whether EIT can serve as a selective
alternative for CT to identify regions of air trapping and consolidation, whether EIT can provide
clinically useful information about response to treatment for an acute PE, and whether EIT can
provide longitudinal information about structural changes in the lung.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9903293
- **Project number:** 5R01EB026710-02
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer Lynn Mueller
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $596,023
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9903293

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9903293, Real-Time Assessment of Lung Structure and Function in CF Patients using Electrical Impedance Tomography (5R01EB026710-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9903293. Licensed CC0.

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