Focus on Recent Advances in Electrical Impedance Tomography

This focus collection introduces recent advances in electrical impedance tomography (EIT) in algorithms, hardware developments and clinical applications. It is an exciting time for the EIT community as the number of commercial EIT systems and clinical trials evaluating this technology continues to grow, which is a key drive to enable EIT to become a routine tool of choice. Though EIT is beginning to gain recognition as a useful tool, there are still many challenges left. For example, the EU has funded a major project (CRADL, H2020, 5.5 million Euros; cradlproject.org), focusing on the devastating effects of respiratory failure in infants and children. Each year 15 million babies are born prematurely, and many suffer from respiratory failure due to immaturity of the lung (respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)) and lack of control of breathing. Although respiratory support, especially mechanical ventilation, can improve their survival, it also causes severe injury to the vulnerable lung, resulting in severe and chronic pulmonary morbidity lasting into adulthood. These risks are also present in older infants and children admitted for respiratory failure caused by bronchiolitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Addressing this problem is essential in order to progress on the millennium development goal (MDG) for child survival by 2015 and beyond. Studies have shown that heterogeneity of lung aeration, resulting in areas of lung over-inflation and lung collapse, plays a crucial part in the risk of mortality and morbidity due to respiratory failure. Avoiding heterogeneity is considered the key to attenuating the detrimental effects of respiratory failure. However, this distribution of lung aeration cannot be detected by currently available bedside monitoring tools and imaging techniques. Therefore, an imaging modality suitable for continuous non-invasive bedside monitoring of infant lung function is urgently needed. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is the only technology that is available to address this need.