Element-Free Galerkin vs. Finite Element Modeling for Thoracic EIT: Assessing the Effects of Lung Motion and Deformation

Hadinia, Maedeh; Zare Bazghaleh, Amir

doi:10.48301/vjtve.2026.525005.1118

Element-Free Galerkin vs. Finite Element Modeling for Thoracic EIT: Assessing the Effects of Lung Motion and Deformation

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Maedeh Hadinia ¹

Amir Zare Bazghaleh ²

¹ Department of Physics and Medical Engineering, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

² Department of Electrical Engineering, Lan.C., Islamic Azad University, Langarud, Iran

10.48301/vjtve.2026.525005.1118

Abstract

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a promising imaging technique for real-time, radiation-free monitoring of thoracic function. Accurate image reconstruction in EIT critically depends on the forward problem solver, especially in dynamic applications like lung monitoring, where internal anatomical deformation occurs continuously. This paper presents a comparative study of the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the meshless Element-Free Galerkin Method (EFGM) for solving the forward and inverse problems in Applied Potential Tomography (APT)/EIT using the Complete Electrode Model (CEM). The novelty of this work lies in the integration of a fast polygonal-pixel-based Jacobian computation technique with EFGM for APT/EIT systems, extending previous work limited to Adaptive Current Tomography (ACT). We demonstrate that EFGM, owing to its meshless nature, offers higher flexibility and robustness under geometrical deformation compared to FEM. Simulation results using a realistic thoracic model validate the improved stability and reconstruction accuracy of the EFGM-based approach, highlighting its potential for clinical thoracic EIT applications.

Keywords

Electrical impedance tomography

Forward problem, Inverse problem, Finite element method, Element-free Galerkin method, Lung Imaging

Subjects