US 11,883,223 B2 · Hepatic inflammation analysis with dynamic PET

Abstract

A system and method for determining kinetic parameters associated with a kinetic model of an imaging agent in a liver is provided. An image reconstruction device can receive radiotracer activities corresponding to a predetermined time period. For example, these radiotracer activities can include PET scan data corresponding to a number of time frames. The radiotracer activities can be used to determine a liver time activity curve and a circulatory input function. The liver time activity curve and circulatory input function can be used along with a kinetic model of the liver to produce kinetic parameters. These kinetic parameters can be used to determine hepatic scores, such as a hepatic steatosis score, a hepatic inflammation score, and a cirrhosis score. These scores are indicative of diseases of the liver, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and hepatic fibrosis.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of determining a plurality of kinetic parameters associated with a kinetic model of an imaging agent in a liver, performed by an image reconstruction device, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of imaging agent activities based on tracer transport kinetic imaging of the imaging agent in the liver during a predetermined time period;
generating a liver time activity curve and a circulatory input function based on the plurality of imaging agent activities;
jointly determining, based on the liver time activity curve and the circulatory input function, the plurality of kinetic parameters associated with the kinetic model of the imaging agent in the liver, wherein the plurality of kinetic parameters comprise at least two of a fractional blood volume, a blood to hepatic tissue rate, a hepatic tissue to blood rate, a phosphorylation rate, a dephosphorylation rate, a portal vein rate, and a hepatic artery fraction;
and
generating an output characterizing liver inflammation in the liver at least based on the plurality of kinetic parameters.

2 more elements

A system comprising an image reconstruction device comprising:

a processor;
and
a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code executable by the processor for determining a plurality of kinetic parameters associated with a kinetic model of an imaging agent in a liver, performed by an image reconstruction device, wherein the code, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
receive a plurality of imaging agent activities based on tracer transport kinetic imaging of the imaging agent in the liver during a predetermined time period;
generate a liver time activity curve and a circulatory input function based on the plurality of imaging agent activities;
jointly determine, based on the liver time activity curve and the circulatory input function, the plurality of kinetic parameters associated with the kinetic model of the imaging agent in the liver, wherein the plurality of kinetic parameters comprise at least two of a fractional blood volume, a blood to hepatic tissue rate, a hepatic tissue to blood rate, a phosphorylation rate, a dephosphorylation rate, a portal vein rate, and a hepatic artery fraction;
and
generate an output characterizing liver inflammation in the liver at least based on the plurality of kinetic parameters.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hepatic inflammation analysis with dynamic PET

Life of this patent

Hepatic inflammation analysis with dynamic PET

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19