It will provide a diagnostic method for the regional determination of oxygen consumption and regional blood flow in any organ of the body. These latter measurements are important in diagnosing dementia, treating brain tumors, detecting cerebral ischemia, understanding neurobehavioral disorders, or localizing higher cortical functions in normal subjects. Its use in research may improve our understanding of cerebral functions and may provide therapies for such problems as dementia, stroke, head trauma and epilepsy. This invention can be attached as an accessory to existing whole body imagers, or to existing NMR instruments. A functioning prototype has been built and tested in human subjects.
Optimization is under way.
Patents have been filed. Clinical testing is needed for FDA approval for medical uses.