Patent ID: 7239731

Claim:
A method for non-destructive functional imaging and mapping of electrical excitation of biological objects, the method comprising: providing a plurality of electromagnetic field sources for generating an electromagnetic field domain in a target area; providing a plurality of electromagnetic field detectors for detecting at least a portion of the electromagnetic field domain in the target area; positioning a biological object within the target area; introducing, into the biological object, a sensitive material characterized by having a dielectrical property that is a function of the electrical field generated by the biological object; generating an electromagnetic field domain via a selected plurality of the electromagnetic field sources; selectively characterizing the electromagnetic field generated by each electromagnetic field source so that each of a selected plurality of electromagnetic field detectors recognizes a source of electromagnetic field from a plurality of electromagnetic field sources; controlling the electromagnetic field sources and the electromagnetic field detectors, so that electromagnetic fields generated by the selected plurality of electromagnetic field sources are received by the selected plurality of the electromagnetic field detectors after interacting with the biological object; based upon the electromagnetic field received at each electromagnetic field detector, measuring interference characteristics of an electromagnetic field caused by an electrical/dielectrical object and by an electromagnetic field generated by the biological object; determining an image of the biological object and the spread of electrical excitation in the biological object by inversing the electromagnetic fields detected by the plurality of electromagnetic field detectors; and displaying the spread of electrical excitation by excitation imaging means.