Patent ID: 8617072

Claim:
A method for evaluating image data that represent concentration of an imaging agent in a body volume, the method comprising: determining an injection function (S INJ (t)) that models an injection of the imaging agent into a reference region as a function of time; determining a concentration of free imaging agent in plasma (C P ) in the reference region; determining a time signal in the reference region via convolution and summing using the injection function, the concentration of the free imaging agent in plasma, impulse response functions of blood elements (G B ) and metabolites (G MB ) within a blood volume fraction (V B ) of a blood subsystem in the reference region, partial volume fractions of the blood elements (G B ) and the metabolites (G MB ), respectively, within the blood subsystem, impulse response functions of tissue (G T ) and metabolites (G MT ) within a tissue volume fraction (V T ) of a reference tissue subsystem in the reference region, and a partial volume fraction of the metabolites (G MT ) within the reference tissue subsystem, determining the time signal being executed by a processor; and estimating a distribution of the imaging agent in blood of a patient using the time signal, wherein the injection function is expressed as a volume flow of the imaging agent through one of a syringe and an infusion system into a vein of the patient.