SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING TEMPORAL MEASUREMENTS OF LOCALIZED RADIATION TO ESTIMATE THE MAGNITUDE, LOCATION, AND VOLUME OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL IN THE BODY
A system and method for the measurement of radiation emitted from the body, for example, is presented. In one example, radiation sensors (e.g., gamma radiation sensors) may be used to measure activity proximate an injection site as a function of time. With that data, a function describing an amount of radioactive material in tissue proximate the injection site as a function of time may be estimated where an amount of radioactive material in the tissue at a time t is known. When an array of sensors is employed, the amount of radioactive material in the tissue proximate the injection site may be determined directly by the system. With an estimated function of radioactive material proximate the injection site as a function of time known, an estimated arterial input function may be determined, allowing for calculation of a correction factor that may be applied by a clinician during nuclear medical imaging.
