Patent ID: 8831323

Claim:
A computerized method for determining a blood input function (BIF) of a tracer in a subject, comprising: providing a time series of image data sets of an examination subject to a computerized processor, said time series of image data sets comprising a plurality of respectively chronologically sequentially acquired image data sets that each represent decay of a radioactive tracer administered to the examination subject; in said processor, automatically detecting comparable features at least in a first of said image data sets of the time series and in a second of said image data sets associated with said decay of said tracer in of the time series; in said processor, automatically obtaining a first activity value a region of interest, containing a first of the comparable features, in said first of said image data sets; in said processor, measuring a size of the first of the comparable features; in said processor, modifying the first activity value using the measured size of the first of the comparable features; in said processor, automatically obtaining a second activity value associated with said decay of said tracer in a region of interest, containing a second of the comparable features, in said second of said image data sets; in said processor, combining the modified first activity value and the second activity value to produce a BIF of the tracer over the time series; and from said processor, emitting an electronic signal representing said BIF of the tracer over the time series.