Extraction of time activity curves from gated FDG-PET images for small animals' heart studies.

We introduce a new approach to extract the input function and the tissue time activity curve from dynamic ECG-gated (18)F-FDG PET images. These curves are mandatory to model the myocardium metabolic rate of glucose for heart studies. The proposed method utilizes coupled active contours to track the myocardium and the blood pool deformations. Furthermore, a statistical approach is developed to model the blood and tissue activities and to correct for spillovers. The developed algorithm offers a reliable alternative to serial blood sampling for small animal cardiac PET studies. Indeed, the calculated MMRG value differs by 1.54% only from the reference value.