Cardiac structure imaging system and method based on MCG and ECG fusion
Technical Field
The invention relates to a cardiac structure imaging technology in the field of structural imaging, in particular to a cardiac structure imaging system and method based on MCG and ECG fusion.
Background
Heart diseases such as cardiomyopathy, heart tumor, congenital heart disease, particularly complex deformity, valvular heart disease and the like need to be diagnosed and analyzed by means of heart imaging technology. The current cardiac imaging techniques are mainly ultrasound imaging, CT imaging and MRI imaging. The CT imaging radiation dose is high, and certain harm is caused to a human body; MRI imaging is not suitable for patients with cardiac bypass. The current Magnetocardiogram (MCG) and Electrocardiograph (ECG) measuring equipment can detect electromagnetic field information, are used for reflecting functional information of the heart, and have the characteristics of ultrahigh time resolution, no wound and quick response. Both the heart magnet and the heart electricity are electromagnetic fields generated by the source activity of the heart, namely action potential of myocardial cells, and are conducted to the surface of a human body through the human body to be recorded, the difference of the conductivity at each part of the human body is large, and the change of the permeability is small, so that the conduction of the heart electricity in the human body is greatly influenced by the conductivity, the conduction of the heart magnet is basically not influenced by the permeability, namely, the human body is transparent to the heart magnet and can be completely transmitted. Imaging of cardiac structures using MCG and ECG fused systems is possible based on the fact that there are different aberrations in the conduction of cardiac source activity to the body surface.
Therefore, the cardiac structure imaging system and method based on MCG and ECG fusion of the invention overcome the defects that CT imaging radiation is harmful to human bodies and MRI is not suitable for patients with cardiac bypass, and become a novel cardiac structure imaging technology with the characteristics of harmlessness and suitability for all people.
Disclosure of Invention
The invention solves the problems: the defects of the prior art are overcome, the cardiac structure imaging system and method based on MCG and ECG fusion are provided, the cardiac structure imaging system and method are harmless to human bodies, the defect that CT imaging radiation is harmful to human bodies is overcome, the cardiac structure imaging system is suitable for various people, the defect that MRI cannot be suitable for patients with cardiac bypass is overcome, and high time resolution is used as a supplement to the existing cardiac imaging system.
The technical scheme of the invention is as follows: a cardiac structure imaging system based on MCG and ECG fusion mainly comprises: the system comprises a magnetic shielding room, an electrocardio measuring module, an electrocardio-magnetic measuring module, a data synchronization and acquisition module and a structure imaging module. The electrocardio measuring module and the magnetocardiogram measuring module are arranged in the magnetic shielding room and are respectively used for measuring electrocardio signals and magnetocardiogram signals, the acquired signals are output to the data synchronizing and acquiring module outside the magnetic shielding room, the acquired digital signals are input to the structure imaging module, the structure imaging module receives the electrocardio signals and the magnetocardiogram signals output by the data synchronizing and acquiring module, and cardiac structure imaging is carried out on the synchronously acquired electrocardio signals and magnetocardiogram signals at each moment.
1) Magnetic shielding room
The electrocardiographic measurement and the magnetocardiogram measurement are carried out in a magnetic shielding room. Since the earth magnetic field has a 50-60 μ T magnetic field, the magnetic field of the magnetocardiogram is in the order of 1-100pT, and thus magnetocardiogram measurements need to be performed in a magnetically shielded environment. The magnetic shielding room is used for shielding the magnetic field of the earth environment and needs the remanence to be less than 10 nT.
2) Electrocardio measuring module
The electrocardio measuring module is arranged in the magnetic shielding room and comprises an electrocardio electrode and an amplifier. The connection relationship is as follows: 64 or more electrocardio-electrodes are connected to the amplifier, the electrocardiosignals collected by the electrocardio-electrodes are subjected to signal amplification by the amplifier and are output to the data synchronization and collection module outside the magnetic shielding room by the optical fiber. The array electrocardio-electrode uses silver chloride as an electrode material, the silver chloride material can not generate magnetic interference to the magnetocardiogram measuring equipment, and 64 electrodes are arranged in an 8-by-8 array. The amplifier is a nuclear magnetism compatible amplifier, and the amplifier housing is magnetically shielded, so that the circuit in the amplifier does not generate magnetic noise outside the amplifier.
3) Magnetocardiogram measuring module
The magnetocardiogram measurement module is placed in a magnetic shielding room, and the module comprises 64 or more magnetometer probes. The magnetometer probes are used for measuring the normal and tangential magnetic fields of the body surface, are arranged in an 8 x 8 array and are inserted into an insertion plate for fixing the magnetometer probes, and 8 x 8 slots are formed in the insertion plate. And the magnetocardiogram signals measured by the magnetometer probe are output to a data synchronization and acquisition module outside the magnetic shielding room.
4) Data synchronization and acquisition module
The data synchronization and acquisition module comprises a data synchronization trigger clock and a data acquisition card. The data synchronization triggering clock is used for enabling the analog signals output by the electrocardio-measuring module and the magnetocardiogram-measuring module to be collected under the same clock, the electrocardio-signals and the magnetocardiogram signals are synchronously sampled under the synchronous clock, and the sampled signals are output to the structural imaging module.
5) Structural imaging module
The structural imaging module receives the electrocardiosignals and the magnetocardiogram signals output by the data synchronization and acquisition module and images the synchronously acquired electrocardiosignals and magnetocardiogram signals at each moment. The imaging process of the structural imaging module is as follows: firstly, electrocardio signals and magnetocardiogram signals and an initial torso-heart model structure are respectively input, the electrical conductivity of the heart is 0.0537-0.483S/m, the electrical conductivity of the torso is 0.216-0.241S/m, and the electrical conductivity of the interior of the ventricle is 0.4-1.0S/m. Secondly, solving an inverse problem of 64-channel magnetocardiogram signals at a single moment to obtain the activity position and the intensity of a heart source; thirdly, because the electrical conductivity of the electrocardiosignals at different parts of the human body is different, the voltage theoretical value of each electrode position of the electrocardio is obtained by forward calculation according to the heart source activity position estimated in the first step according to a preset trunk-heart model structure; step four, comparing actual signals collected by the electrocardio forward calculation estimated theoretical value and the electrocardio device in the step three, and verifying whether the difference value between the two signals is less than a preset value; and step four, if the difference obtained in the step three is smaller than a preset value, the assumed trunk-heart model structure is considered as the final imaging structure, otherwise, the trunk-heart model is modified, and the calculation is returned to the step three. And finally obtaining the imaging result of the heart structure and outputting the imaging result to a display screen.
The cardiac structure imaging method based on MCG and ECG fusion mainly realizes the following steps:
firstly, establishing a magnetocardiogram guiding field phi by using finite elements according to an initial torso-heart conduction modelE(Vi,σi) 1, 2, n and an ecg lead field MM(Vj,μj) J 1, 2.. m, where V denotes the finite volume element, σiRepresents ViElectrical conductivity, muiRepresents VjAnd (4) magnetic permeability.
Secondly, because the magnetocardiogram permeability changes little along with the change of the tissue, the magnetocardiogram guiding field is considered to be more accurate, so that the magnetocardiogram guiding field M is obtainedM(Vj,μj) Searching a source space, solving the heart source activity, wherein the solving method is shown as the following formula:
wherein, YMFor magnetocardiogram array signals measured by the magnetocardiogram measuring module, SMFor the solved cardiac source activity, G is the cardiac source space, i.e., the cardiac volume. Solving the above equation to obtain SM。
Thirdly, taking a threshold value Q, and continuously updating a conduction model of the trunk-heart, namely the electrocardio-guide field phiERepeating the second step to enable the electrocardiosignals measured by the electrocardio measuring module and the theoretical voltage values phi of the positions of the electrodes of the electrocardio to be measuredESMThe difference is less than or equal to the threshold Q, as shown in the following equation:
wherein, YEFor the electrocardiographic signal, S, measured by the electrocardiographic measuring moduleMFor the heart source activity, phi, obtained in the last stepEIs an updated electrocardiogram guide field.
Finally, from phiE(Vi,σi) N gives the imaging results of cardiac structures, characterizing different cardiac conductivity regions in different colors.
Compared with other structural imaging systems, the cardiac structural imaging system based on MCG and ECG fusion has the advantages that:
(1) compared with the CT cardiac imaging technology, the CT radiation dose is high and harmful to the human body, and the invention can overcome the defect and has no side effect on the human body.
(2) Compared with the MRI cardiac imaging technology, MRI is not suitable for pregnant women or patients with heart bypass, and the cardiac structure imaging technology based on MCG and ECG fusion can be suitable for various people including pregnant women, children and the like.
(3) Compared with the ultrasonic cardiac imaging technology, the structural imaging technology provided by the invention can not only provide structural information, but also reflect the electrical activity and magnetic activity conditions of the heart, and analyze the source activity condition of the heart with high time resolution.
In a word, the invention firstly provides a heart structure imaging graph obtained by combining the functional magnetocardiogram and electrocardio measurement results with modeling calculation, so that the information such as heart conductivity change and the like is visually reflected, and the invention can be expanded and applied to clinic in the future.
Drawings
FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of a cardiac structure imaging system based on MCG and ECG fusion;
FIG. 2 is a schematic layout of the electrocardio-electrode and magnetocardiogram probe;
FIG. 3 is an imaging flow diagram of a structural imaging module.
In the figure: the system comprises a magnetic shielding room 1, an electrocardio measuring module 2, a magnetocardiogram measuring module 3, a data synchronization and acquisition module 4, a structure imaging module 5, an electrocardio electrode 6 and a magnetocardiogram probe 7.
Detailed Description
The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.
As shown in fig. 1, a cardiac structure imaging system based on MCG and ECG fusion is presented, which mainly comprises: the system comprises a magnetic shielding room 1, an electrocardio measuring module 2, an electrocardio-magnetic measuring module 3, a data synchronization and acquisition module 4 and a structure imaging module 5. The electrocardio measuring module 2 and the magnetocardiogram measuring module 3 are arranged in the magnetic shielding room 1 and are respectively used for measuring electrocardio signals and magnetocardiogram signals, the acquired signals are output to the data synchronization and acquisition module 4 outside the magnetic shielding room 1, and the acquired digital signals are input to the structural imaging module 5 for cardiac structural imaging.
(1) Magnetic shielding room 1
The electrocardiographic measurement and the magnetocardiogram measurement are performed in the magnetic shielding room 1. Since the earth magnetic field has a 50-60 μ T magnetic field, the magnetic field of the magnetocardiogram is in the order of 1-100pT, and thus magnetocardiogram measurements need to be performed in a magnetically shielded environment. The magnetic shielding room 1 is used for shielding the magnetic field of the earth environment and needs the remanence to be less than 10 nT.
(2) Electrocardio measuring module 2
The electrocardio measuring module 2 is arranged in the magnetic shielding room 1 and comprises an electrocardio electrode 6 and an amplifier. The connection relationship of each part in the electrocardio measuring module 2 is as follows: 64 or more electrocardio-electrodes 6 are connected to the amplifier, the electrocardiosignals collected by the electrocardio-electrodes 6 are subjected to signal amplification by the amplifier and are output to the data synchronization and collection module 4 outside the magnetic shielding room 1 by the optical fiber. The amplifier is a nuclear magnetism compatible amplifier, and the amplifier housing is magnetically shielded, so that the circuit in the amplifier does not generate magnetic noise outside the amplifier. The arrangement of the array electrocardio-electrodes is shown in figure 2, the electrode material of the electrocardio-electrodes 6 is silver chloride, the silver chloride material can not generate magnetic interference to the magnetocardiogram measuring equipment, and 64 electrodes 1 are arranged in an 8 x 8 array.
(3) Magnetocardiogram measuring module 3
The magnetocardiogram measuring module 3 is placed in the magnetic shielding room 1, and comprises 64 or more magnetocardiogram probes 7. The magnetocardiometer probes 7 are used for measuring the magnetic field in the normal direction and the tangential direction of the body surface, are arranged in an 8 x 8 array, are inserted into an insertion plate for fixing the magnetocardiometer probes, are provided with 8 x 8 insertion slots, and are arranged as shown in fig. 2. The magnetocardiogram signals measured by the magnetocardiogram probe 7 are output to the data synchronization and acquisition module 4 outside the magnetic shielding room 1.
(4) Data synchronization and acquisition module 4
The data synchronization and acquisition module 4 comprises a data synchronization trigger clock and a data acquisition card. The data synchronization trigger clock is used for enabling the analog signals output by the electrocardio-measuring module 2 and the magnetocardiogram-measuring module 3 to be collected under the same clock, under the synchronous clock, the electrocardio signals and the magnetocardiogram signals are synchronously sampled, and the sampled signals are output to the structural imaging module 5.
(5) Structural imaging module 5
The structural imaging module 5 receives the electrocardio signals and the magnetocardiogram signals output by the data synchronization and acquisition module 4, and images the synchronously acquired electrocardio signals and magnetocardiogram signals at each moment. The imaging process of the structural imaging module is as follows:
firstly, respectively inputting electrocardio signals, magnetocardiogram signals and initial bodyThe dry-heart model structure is characterized in that the electrical conductivity of the heart is 0.0537-0.483S/m, the electrical conductivity of the trunk is 0.216-0.241S/m, and the electrical conductivity of the interior of the ventricle is 0.4-1.0S/m. Respectively adopting finite elements to establish a magnetocardiogram guiding field phi according to an initial torso-heart conduction modelE(Vi,σi) 1, 2, n and an ecg lead field MM(Vj,μj) J 1, 2.. m, where V denotes the finite volume element, σiRepresents ViElectrical conductivity, muiRepresents VjAnd (4) magnetic permeability.
And secondly, solving an inverse problem of the 64-channel magnetocardiogram signal at a single moment to obtain the activity position and the intensity of the heart source. Because the magnetocardiogram permeability changes little along with the change of the tissue, the magnetocardiogram guiding field is considered to be more accurate, so the magnetocardiogram guiding field M is based onM(Vj,μj) Searching a source space, and solving the heart source activity, wherein the solving method is shown as the following formula:
wherein, YMMagnetocardiogram array signals, M, measured for a magnetocardiogram measuring moduleMSimplified writing method for creating a magnetocardiogram guide field, SMFor the heart source activity to be solved, G is heart source space, and the heart source activity S is obtained by solving the above formulaM。
Thirdly, because the electrical conductivity of the electrocardiosignals at different parts of the human body is different, the theoretical voltage value phi of each electrode position of the electrocardio is obtained by forward calculation according to the preset torso-heart model structure from the heart source activity position estimated in the first stepESM。
And fourthly, comparing the voltage theoretical value of each electrode position obtained by the electrocardio forward calculation in the third step with the actual signal collected by the electrocardio device, and verifying whether the difference value between the two values is less than or equal to a preset value. Taking a threshold value Q, and continuously updating a conduction model of the trunk-heart, namely the electrocardiogram guide field phiERepeating the third step such that the following holds:
wherein, YEFor the electrocardiographic signal, S, measured by the electrocardiographic measuring moduleMFor the heart source activity, phi, obtained in the last stepEIs an updated electrocardiogram guide field.
Fifthly, if the difference obtained in the fourth step is smaller than a preset value, the assumed trunk-heart model structure is considered as a final imaging structure; otherwise, the body-heart structure model is modified, and the third step of calculation is returned. After iteration of calculation, finally the value is calculated by phiE(Vi,σi) N gives the imaging results of the cardiac structure, and different cardiac conductivity regions are characterized in different colors and output to a display screen.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced without these specific details.