2 Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine

admittivity ef as a function of and the voxel oxel can be from its pointwise structure [18]. It is used to describe
determined by Ohms law: the linear relationship between the ensemble mean

J (r) r ef (, oxel ) E (r) r

current density and the ensemble mean electrical
(1) field. Effective admittivity depends only on the elec-
oxel oxel trical properties of the sample.

current density J = E at angular frequency . Here,

for a time-harmonic electric field E and the corresponding (iii) Apparent admittivity is defined as the admittivity of

ef (, oxel ) is a symmetric 3 3 matrix and r = (, , ) is

electrically homogeneous and isotropic medium that

the position within the voxel. If the quantity ( J(r)r)

could yield the potential measured on the hetero-
geneous subject using the same applied current and
( E(r)r) 0 for any pair of electric field E and current
oxel arrangement of the electrodes.

density J, then ef is scalar and the subject is isotropic.

oxel (iv) Two expressions that have the same effective admit-
tivity are called equivalent admittivity. Pavlin and
Otherwise, a subject is said to be anisotropic. Depending Miklavcic [19] use a simpler equivalent conductivity
on the measurement scale used, anisotropy may or may of a single cell for the purpose of computation of effec-

models formulated for admittivity spectra {ef (, oxel ) :

not be detected. There have been numerous studies and tive conductivity of a suspension of permeabilized

0 /2 100 MHz} of biological tissue as a means

of characterizing tissue structural information relating to
an expression of ef ( = 0) for the special case of a strongly
biological cell suspensions [7, 8]. In 1873, Maxwell [9] derived
dilute suspension of spherical particles and = 0. Wagner
extended the expression to a general ef . Poisson [10] in 1826
and Faraday in 1827 dealt with the case of a suspension of
cells.
Let be a three-dimensional domain with a pointwise
admittivity of (r, ) = (r) + (r), where the conductivity
(r) and the permittivity (r)values are assumed to depend
only on position r = (, , ), and both are isotropic. Then,
the domain can be viewed as a union of many voxels oxel ,
and the effective properties mainly depend on the choice
admittivity ef () that is a constant on each voxel oxel .
of voxels. With a given voxels, we can define the effective

[7] provided an expression for ef by considering the capacity

infinitely conducting spheres in a background. In 1924, Fricke

voxel oxel and the angular frequency such that

The effective admittivity is a tensor-valued function of the
due to a polarization at the interphases or the presence in

ef (oxel , )
the interphases of thin poorly conducting membranes. There
have been also studies on an effective conductivity of cell

(oxel , ) (oxel , ) (oxel , )

suspensions, both analytically and numerically [1117].
ef ef ef

= ( (oxel , ) (oxel , ) (oxel , )) .

The concept of effective admittivity has been used widely, (2)
but it seems that its precise definition has been overlooked. ef ef ef

How can we determine the effective admittivity of a given

ef
(oxel , )
ef
(oxel , )
ef
(oxel , )

The ef (oxel , ) must be the best approximation of the

cubic region? In this paper we give precise definitions of

average of the pointwise admittivity over the voxel oxel in

effective admittivity to provide a way to measure it from
boundary current and voltage data. As in the homoge-
nization theory, the effective admittivity can be computed the sense that

(r, ) (r, ) r ef (, oxel ) (r, ) r

from pointwise admittivity by solving Maxwell equations.
We compute the effective admittivity of simple models as
a function of frequency to observe the Maxwell-Wagner oxel oxel

1 () satisfying ( (r, ) ) = 0 in .
interface effect and Debye relaxation using a mathematical
point of view. Single layer and double layer potentials are
(3)
The physically meaningful solution must have a finite
used to produce the Maxwell-Wagner-Fricke expression for
a dilute suspension of ellipses and a membrane-covered
conductor, respectively. We also note that Maxwell equations energy [20]:

() = (r) | (r)|2 r < .

make both microscopic and macroscopic senses.
(4)

Hence, the solution of the equation ((r, )) = 0 should

2. Effective Admittivity Spectra of
be contained in the set { 2 () : () < } [20]. Here,
Biological Tissues
1 () is the standard Sobolev space equipped with norm
= ||2 + |2 |r.
The concept of admittivity contains four key definitions:
pointwise admittivity, effective admittivity, apparent admit-
However, there is no such tensor ef (oxel , ) satisfying
tivity, and equivalent admittivity.
(3) exactly. Hence, we may take an appropriate ef (oxel , )
satisfying (3) approximately, and the choice of ef (oxel , )
(i) Pointwise admittivity refers to electrical properties at
microscopic scale.

effective admittivity, we need to select suitable potentials

(ii) Effective admittivity is defined at macroscopic scale. may differ for a biological sample. To clearly define the

1 () satisfying ((r, )(r)) = 0 in .

Homogenization methods have been used to compute
effective property of a periodic heterogeneous subject