Effect of electrode contact impedance mismatch on 4-electrode measurements of small body segments using commercial BIA devices

Paco Bogónez -Franco, Pascale Pham, Claudine Gehin, Bertrand Massot, Georges Delhomme, Regis Guillemaud, Eric McAdams

Abstract

Segmental and regional bioimpedance measurements have become of great clinical interest in the monitoring of many pathologies. However, the use of commercial bioimpedance analyzers to carry out measurements on small segments of the body, with their associated low inter-electrode tissue impedances, leads to some unexpected problems. Low interelectrode tissue impedances are very prone to adverse effects resulting from the relatively large electrode contact impedances and, especially, from electrode contact impedance mismatches. The authors highlight these problems, first with measurements on electrical models of the tissue and electrode/skin contact impedances and then with measurements carried out on human calves. It is concluded that commercial equipment must be used carefully, especially when carrying out novel, localised bioimpedance measurements for which the devices were not originally designed.

Keywords

Bioimpedance, electrode mismatch, commercial BIA devices, segmental measurements, localized measurements

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DOI

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IMEKO TC

TC4 - Measurement of Electrical Quantities

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