Optimization of a model corrected blood input function from dynamic FDG-PET images of small animal heart in vivo

Tracer kinetic modeling is commonly used for quantitative evaluation of dynamic Positron Emission Tomography (PET) data. However, quantitation of dynamic PET data of the mouse heart in vivo is challenging due to the small size of the heart and the limited intrinsic spatial resolution of the PET scanner. Here, we present an optimized compartment model which can simultaneously correct for spill over and partial volume effects for both blood and the tissue, compute kinetic rate parameters and generate model corrected blood input function (MCBIF) from ordered subset expectation maximization - maximum a posteriori (OS EM-MAP) cardio-respiratory gated 18F-FDG PET images of the mouse heart with attenuation correction in vivo, without any invasive blood sampling. This technique not only improves quantitation but is also repetitive.