A method, an apparatus, and a kit including the apparatus and a fluorescence agent are provided for measuring a time-varying change in an amount of blood in a tissue volume, and include exciting a fluorescence agent in the blood, acquiring a time-varying light intensity signal during a pulsatile flow of the blood through the tissue volume, the pulsatile flow having a systolic and a diastolic phase resembling a conventional photoplethysmogram, and processing the acquired signal by applying a modified Beer-Lambert law to obtain a measurement of the time-varying change in the amount of blood in the tissue volume. The instantaneous molar concentration of the fluorescence agent is determined by utilizing a concentration-mediated change in a fluorescence emission spectrum of the fluorescence agent. There is further provided a fluorescence agent for use in the method.

Methods and systems for facilitating assessment of blood flow in a tissue volume of a subject are disclosed. In some variations, the method may include: after a predetermined amount of a fluorescence agent has been administered to the subject, exciting the fluorescence agent in the tissue volume such that the excited fluorescence agent emits fluorescent light, acquiring fluorescence data based on the fluorescent light emitted during blood flow through the tissue volume, estimating a molar concentration of the fluorescence agent in the blood flowing through the tissue volume, and generating an assessment of blood flow in the tissue volume based at least in part on the fluorescence data and the estimated molar concentration of the fluorescence agent. The estimated molar concentration may be based on the predetermined amount of the fluorescence agent and an estimated circulating blood volume of the subject.

The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that performs ultra-fast tracer imaging on a subject using positron emission tomography. During operation, the system performs a high-temporal-resolution, total-body dynamic PET scan on the subject as an intravenously injected radioactive tracer propagates through the vascular system of the subject to produce PET projection data. Next, the system applies an image reconstruction technique to the PET projection data to produce subsecond temporal frames, which illustrate the dynamic propagation of the radioactive tracer through the vascular system of the subject. Finally, the system outputs the temporal frames through a display device.

A tomographic image forming apparatus is disclosed, which divides light output from a light source inside the apparatus into measurement light and reference light, and which generates a cross-sectional image of an imaging target, based on light intensity of interference light obtained from reflected light obtained by emitting the measurement light to the imaging target and the reference light. A second image is generated by converting a first image in which line data generated based on the light intensity and having information in a direction of a first axis which serves as a depth direction of the imaging target is arranged in a direction of a second axis, into a frequency domain. An artifact is removed or reduced by performing filtering on the second image. A third image is generated by inversely converting the processed second image into a spatial domain.

Methods for combining anatomical data and physiological data on a single image are provided. The methods include obtaining an image, for example, a raw near-infrared (NIR) image or a visible image, of a sample. The image of the sample includes anatomical structure of the sample. A physiologic map of blood flow and perfusion of the sample is obtained. The anatomical structure of the image and the physiologic map of the sample are combined into a single image of the sample. The single image of the sample displays anatomy and physiology of the sample in the single image in real time. Related systems and computer program products are also provided.

Methods for combining anatomical data and physiological data on a single image are provided. The methods include obtaining an image, for example, a raw near-infrared (NIR) image or a visible image, of a sample. The image of the sample includes anatomical structure of the sample. A physiologic map of blood flow and perfusion of the sample is obtained. The anatomical structure of the image and the physiologic map of the sample are combined into a single image of the sample. The single image of the sample displays anatomy and physiology of the sample in the single image in real time. Related systems and computer program products are also provided.

A photoacoustic apparatus, comprises a light source that irradiates an object with light; a plurality of acoustic wave detectors that receive acoustic waves generated from the object, convert the acoustic waves into an electrical signal, and output the electrical signal; and an information acquisition unit that acquires information of the object, based on the electrical signals, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires, for each of the acoustic wave detectors, a change in the intensity of the electrical signal, after the object that has been injected with a contrast agent is irradiated with light that decomposes the contrast agent, and acquires information relating to blood flow, based on the change in the intensity of the electrical signal.

The disclosure provides a method and system for determining a lumen volume of a target blood vessel. The method may include acquiring a temporal sequence of angiography images of the target blood vessel after a contract agent is injected in the target blood vessel. The method may further include identifying a region of interest containing the target blood vessel, by a processor, in each angiography image in the temporal sequence of angiography images. The method may also include integrating, by the processor, pixel values in each region of interest, and determining the lumen volume, by the processor, based on the integrated values of the regions of interest and a predetermined correlation between the integrated values and volumes of the contrast agent.

There is described a method for calculating a patient-specific hemodynamic parameter. The method comprises measuring at least one pressure measurement in an artery using an intravascular pressure measurement device, and taking at least one medical image of the artery from a medical imaging instrument, the at least one medical image of the artery being synchronous with the at least one pressure measurement. Both the pressure measurement and the medical image are fed to a computing system to calculate a flow from the at least one medical image, to calculate parameters of the artery from at least two artery pressure drops and corresponding flow components, and based on the flow and the parameters of the artery, to calculate a patient-specific hemodynamic parameter or a plurality thereof.

There is described a method for calculating a patient-specific hemodynamic parameter. The method comprises measuring at least one pressure measurement in an artery using an intravascular pressure measurement device, and taking at least one medical image of the artery from a medical imaging instrument, the at least one medical image of the artery being synchronous with the at least one pressure measurement. Both the pressure measurement and the medical image are fed to a computing system to calculate a flow from the at least one medical image, to calculate parameters of the artery from at least two artery pressure drops and corresponding flow components, and based on the flow and the parameters of the artery, to calculate a patient-specific hemodynamic parameter or a plurality thereof.