ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE TOMOGRAPHY ABSTRACT Imbalances in regional lung ventilation, with gravity-dependent collapse and over distention of nondependent

zones, are likely associated to ventilator-induced lung injury. Electric impedance tomography is a new imaging technique that is potentially capable of monitoring those imbalances. The aim of this study was to validate electrical impedance tomography measurements of ventilation distribution, by comparison with dynamic computerized tomography in a heterogeneous population of critically ill patients under mechanical ventilation. This thesis is concerned with Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), a medical imaging technique in which pictures of the electrical conductivity distribution of the body are formed from current and voltage data taken on the body surface. The focus of the thesis is on the mathematical aspects of reconstructing the conductivity image from the measured data. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is to reconstruct an impedance distribution in an object of interest from electrical measurement on the boundary of the object. Because of its noninvasiveness, portability and practical utilities, EIT has been actively studied since 1970s and led to many useful and inspiring results. The primary focus of this work is the visualization of multiphase flows (specifically suspensions of neutral buoyant and buoyant particles at low Reynolds number) using EIT. This imaging technique can lead to a better understanding of the nature of these multiphase flows. Therefore, electrical impedance tomography helps in determining the optimal mechanical ventilation in a patient with acute lung injury.