Patent ID: 7437256

Claim:
A method for monitoring a system in which a fluid flows, and which is characterized by a change in the system with time in space comprising the steps of: A. monitoring a preselected area or volume of a system in which a fluid flows, and which is characterized by a change in the system with time in space to collect data at a plurality of time points correlated to a system event; B. said collected data being values indicative of a system parameter to be measured that varies with time as a function of system wash-in behavior and system wash-out behavior; C. processing said collected data by a. dividing the preselected area or volume of the system into a multitude of discrete locations; b. determining for each discrete location, at preselected time points, a value of said system parameter; c. determining for each discrete location, based on said preselected time points, an intensity function that is correlated with wash-in behavior; d. determining for each location, at said preselected time points, the wash-out behavior e. colorizing each discrete location with respect to color hue for wash-out /color intensity for wash-in correlated with the value of the parameter of the system for said discrete location; and f. producing an output for each colorized discrete location; and D. preparing at least one color coded map based on at least one of color hue, color intensity and color hue/color intensity from the outputs of the colorized discrete locations of the system in two or three dimensions.