Fear, Elise CarolynBesler, Brendon Chisholm Brian2021-09-162021-09-162021-09Besler, B. C. B. (2021). Tomographic approach to human hydration assessment: proof of concept (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/113880Hydration is important to human health as water is a vital nutrient used in many physiological functions within the body. While there are many conventional hydration assessment techniques, there is no non-invasive clinical gold standard. This thesis provides a proof of concept for applying standard microwave tomography techniques to assess clinically relevant changes in hydration. A practical and effective tomographic system is designed in simulation for hydration assessment. To improve blind inversions of high contrast objects, a novel regularization parameter selection procedure is introduced. The tomographic hydration assessment technique is validated in silico using realistic forearm models and the effect of measurement noise and positioning is analyzed. Microwave hydration assessment is evaluated in a group of fasting volunteers. This thesis provides promising results for an emerging technique of hydration assessment based on the estimation of changes in permittivity and a practical application of microwave tomography.University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.microwave tomographymicrowave imaginghydrationEngineering--BiomedicalEngineering--Electronics and Electricalmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/39206