Patent ID: 7499745

Claim:
An apparatus for detection and characterization of one or more medical pathologies within an object under study comprising: (a) a current source adapted to provide current with a predetermined current waveform, said current source being disposed so as to be capable of electrically stimulating such object; (b) a plurality of electrodes being disposed relative to such object to receive current from such object, each of said plurality of electrodes being capable of measuring a voltage; (c) means for controlling such current source and said plurality of electrodes to produce and receive current; and (d) a device coupled with said plurality of electrodes and configured to perform the steps of: (i) calculating a plurality of complex impedances, each of said plurality of complex impedances corresponding to a current drive path defined by said current source and one of said plurality of electrodes; (ii) constructing a multidimensional representation of the electrical characteristics of a region within said object under study using said plurality of complex impedances by solving a continuum electrical model that incorporates nonlinearities; and (iii) detecting and characterizing such one or more medical pathologies within said object under study from said multidimensional representation.