Assessments of vascular permeability for biomedical imaging studies
View Patent ↗Described herein are methods and systems for analyzing biomedical images using new models. Example models include a linear reference region model and a reference agent model. In one example aspect, a computer-implemented method is provided. The method may involve determining, based on a set of biomedical images, a first concentration-activity curve and a second concentration activity-curve. Additionally, the method may further include determining a value of at least one pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter based on the first concentration-activity curve and the second concentration-activity curve and a linear model that relates the first concentration-activity curve to the second concentration-activity curve. The value of the at least one PK parameter may be determined based on application of a linear least square fitting algorithm to the linear model. Also, the method may include causing a graphical display to provide a visual indication of the value of the at least one PK parameter.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
determining, based on a set of biomedical images, a first concentration-activity curve and a second concentration-activity curve, wherein each of the first concentration-activity curve and the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a respective contrast agent within a respective region of tissue;
determining a value of at least one pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter based on the first concentration-activity curve and the second concentration-activity curve, wherein determining the value of the at least one PK parameter comprises:
(i) determining a linear model that relates the first concentration-activity curve to the second concentration-activity curve, wherein the linear model comprises the at least one PK parameter; and
(ii) determining the value of the at least one PK parameter based on application of a linear least square fitting (LLSQ) algorithm to the linear model; and
causing a graphical display to provide a visual indication of the value of the at least one PK parameter.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 :
wherein the first concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a first contrast agent in an interest region of tissue; and
wherein the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of the first contrast agent in a reference region of tissue.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first contrast agent comprises a paramagnetic contrast agent.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 :
wherein the first concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a first contrast agent in an interest region of tissue; and
wherein the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a second contrast agent in the interest region of tissue.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein each of the first contrast agent and the second contrast agent comprise fluorine.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 :
wherein the first contrast agent comprises a first color; and
wherein the second contrast agent comprises a second color.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 :
wherein the first contrast agent is responsive to a biomarker; and
wherein the second contrast agent is unresponsive to the biomarker.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one PK parameter comprises one or more of the following: a volume transfer constant (K trans ) and an extravascular extracellular volume fraction (v e ).
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of biomedical images comprises a set of magnetic resonance images.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of biomedical images comprises a set of optical images.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a response-indication corresponding to a treatment of an interest region of tissue based on the value of the at least one PK parameter.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein the treatment comprises one or more of the following: an anti-angiogenic therapy, a treatment for ischemia, a treatment for revascularization, and a treatment for inflammation and infection.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that an interest region of tissue is a malignant tumor based on the value of the at least one PK parameter.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
determining, based on a set of biomedical images, a first concentration-activity curve and a second concentration-activity curve, wherein each of the first concentration-activity curve and the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a respective contrast agent within a respective region of tissue;
determining a value of at least one pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter based on the first concentration-activity curve and the second concentration-activity curve, wherein determining the value of the at least one PK parameter comprises:
(i) determining a linear model that relates the first concentration-activity curve to the second concentration-activity curve, wherein the linear model comprises the at least one PK parameter; and
(ii) determining the value of the at least one PK parameter based on application of a linear least square fitting (LLSQ) algorithm to the linear model; and
causing a graphical display to provide a visual indication of the value of the at least one PK parameter.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 :
wherein the first concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a first contrast agent in an interest region of tissue; and
wherein the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of the first contrast agent in a reference region of tissue.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 :
wherein the first concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a first contrast agent in an interest region of tissue; and
wherein the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a second contrast agent in the interest region of tissue.
17. A system comprising:
at least one processor;
a computer-readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the computer-readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to:
determine, based on a set of biomedical images, a first concentration-activity curve and a second concentration-activity curve, wherein each of the first concentration-activity curve and the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a respective contrast agent within a respective region of tissue; and
determine a value of at least one pharmacokinetic (PK) parameter based on the first concentration-activity curve and the second concentration-activity curve, wherein determining the value of the at least one PK parameter comprises:
(i) determining a linear model that relates the first concentration-activity curve to the second concentration-activity curve, wherein the linear model comprises the at least one PK parameter; and
(ii) determining the value of the at least one PK parameter based on application of a linear least square fitting (LLSQ) algorithm to the linear model.
18. The system of claim 17 :
wherein the first concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a first contrast agent in an interest region of tissue; and
wherein the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of the first contrast agent in a reference region of tissue.
19. The system of claim 17 :
wherein the first concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a first contrast agent in an interest region of tissue; and
wherein the second concentration-activity curve indicates a concentration of a second contrast agent in the interest region of tissue.
20. The system of any of claim 17 , further comprising a dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) device communicatively coupled to the system, wherein the DCE-MRI device is configured to provide the set of biomedical images to the system.