Early detection of acute ischemic stroke using Contrast-enhanced electrical impedance tomography perfusion

•A cerebral contrast-enhanced electrical impedance tomography perfusion (EITP) method is developed for acute ischemic stroke during intravenous thrombolytic therapy.•The EITP method was tested on rabbits with focal cerebral infarction, and its capability for early detection was verified based on perfusion images.•The EITP method proposed herein can detect the location and area of cerebral infarction within 5 min after the establishment of focal cerebral infarction by combining traditional, dynamic, continuous imaging with rapid detection.•The (EITP) method could be applied as an early, rapid-detection, auxiliary, bedside imaging method for patients after a suspected ischemic stroke in both pre-hospital and in-hospital settings.