Quantifying Myocardial Blood Flow Using PET: The Nuts and Bolts-Quantifying Myocardial Blood Flow Using PET: The Nuts and Bolts

Quantifying Myocardial Blood Flow Using PET: The Nuts and Bolts

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Rob de Kimp, an imaging physicist at the Ottawa Heart Institute, explains the process of quantifying myocardial blood flow using PET imaging technology. PET imaging can assess myocardial blood flow, offering quantitative analysis in cases of multi-vessel or microvascular disease. The process involves injecting a PET tracer and capturing images both at baseline and after pharmacologic stress to determine blood flow differences. Three primary tracers are used in the U.S.: rubidium, N13 ammonia, and F18. The quantification utilizes tracer retention and compartment modeling, providing insight into blood flow rates in ml/min/g. Rob emphasizes the importance of accurate imaging protocols, including starting scans precisely when the tracer arrives and correcting for motion. These processes enable clearer assessments of myocardial perfusion and blood flow, aiding diagnosis and treatment decisions. Robust quality assurance protocols and validated methodologies are critical for accurate flow quantification.

Keywords

myocardial blood flow

PET imaging

tracer retention

compartment modeling

quality assurance