In-Vivo Measurements of Tissue Impeditivity by Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy

The electrical properties of biological tissues differ depending on their structural characteristics. In literature, a lot of study have been carried out with the intent of taking advantage of bioimpedance analysis. Unfortunately, many apparatuses used during these campaigns were not always designed for measurements on living tissues. As a consequence, data could be affected by electrode polarization. In 2016, we presented a new impedance meter, developed for measurements on living tissues. Initially, it was tested only on ex-vivo rabbit’s tissues with promising results. As a continuation, this device has been tested on in-vivo samples by placing a needle-probe into 3 tissues (liver, spleen, ovary) of 2 female dogs. Furthermore, was evaluated also the bioimpedance signal of the ovary explanted, comparing it with the in-vivo data. Bioimpedance was analyzed in terms of modulus and phase along a broad spectrum of frequencies (10Hz – 10kHz). Data obtained confirm the possibility of discriminating among the 3 tested tissues, at high frequencies for modulus and at low for phase. Confirmation that values on in-vivo and ex-vivo tissues are comparable if detected within few minutes after the explant, is also reported. We conclude that this clinical evaluation confirmed, also in-vivo, the good performance of the device previously tested on ex-vivo tissues, and provide more information about the tissue properties and characteristics.