Detection of physiological events by impedance.

The current emphasis on the acquisition of physiological data by noninvasive means for mass medical screening and patient monitoring has increased interest in the use of electrical impedance for the measurement of physiological events. The technique has gained some degree of acceptance for monitoring respiration (Baker & Geddes, 1970), and much interest has been displayed recently in use of the technique to measure cardiac output including studies by Kubicek et al. (1966) Judy et al. (1969), and Mohapatra (1981). Other applications using the impedance technique include thoracic fluid accumulation, peripheral blood flow, cerebral blood flow, muscle contraction, eye movement, and uterine contraction, etc. The purpose of this article is to introduce the various impedance techniques for the measurement of physiological variables.