Method and apparatus for measuring hepatic blood flow amount
First Claim
1. A method for measuring a hepatic blood flow amount, comprising the steps of:
- detecting a change in xenon concentration by supplying a mixed gas of xenon gas and oxygen gas to a lung of a specimen for a certain period of time using a gas inhalator so that said change in xenon concentration in respective regions of liver tissue of said specimen is detected by generating picture element data corresponding to said respective regions using an X-ray CT system;
calculating blood flow amounts based on said picture element data to determine a hepatic arterial blood flow amount and a portal blood flow amount in each of said respective regions by using a processing unit, on the basis of the fact that said xenon concentration in said liver tissue is determined by a xenon concentration in a hepatic arterial blood flow and a xenon concentration in a portal blood flow; and
displaying on a display unit tomographic images of said liver as represented by said plurality of picture elements obtained by said X-ray CT system, said tomographic images comprising a hepatic arterial blood flow map and a portal blood flow map, wherein said hepatic arterial blood flow map shows the hepatic arterial blood flow amount in each of said respective regions of liver tissue, and said portal blood flow map shows the portal blood flow amount in each of said respective regions of liver tissue.
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Abstract
In order to easily measure the hepatic arterial blood flow amount and the portal blood flow amount flowing through the liver, a mixed gas supply apparatus is used to supply a mixed gas of xenon gas and oxygen gas to the lung of a specimen for a certain period of time so that the change in xenon concentration in the tissue of the liver of the specimen is measured (detected) while making decomposition into picture elements by using an X-ray CT system. The hepatic arterial blood flow amount and the portal blood flow amount concerning the respective picture elements obtained by the decomposition are determined by using a computer on the basis of the fact that the xenon concentration in the liver tissue is determined by the xenon concentration in the hepatic arterial blood flow and the xenon concentration in the portal blood flow.
90 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for measuring a hepatic blood flow amount, comprising the steps of:
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detecting a change in xenon concentration by supplying a mixed gas of xenon gas and oxygen gas to a lung of a specimen for a certain period of time using a gas inhalator so that said change in xenon concentration in respective regions of liver tissue of said specimen is detected by generating picture element data corresponding to said respective regions using an X-ray CT system;
calculating blood flow amounts based on said picture element data to determine a hepatic arterial blood flow amount and a portal blood flow amount in each of said respective regions by using a processing unit, on the basis of the fact that said xenon concentration in said liver tissue is determined by a xenon concentration in a hepatic arterial blood flow and a xenon concentration in a portal blood flow; and
displaying on a display unit tomographic images of said liver as represented by said plurality of picture elements obtained by said X-ray CT system, said tomographic images comprising a hepatic arterial blood flow map and a portal blood flow map, wherein said hepatic arterial blood flow map shows the hepatic arterial blood flow amount in each of said respective regions of liver tissue, and said portal blood flow map shows the portal blood flow amount in each of said respective regions of liver tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for measuring a hepatic blood flow amount, comprising:
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a gas inhalator for supplying a mixed gas of xenon gas and oxygen gas to a lung of a specimen;
an X-ray CT system for detecting a change in xenon concentration in respective regions of liver tissue of said specimen while generating picture element data corresponding to said respective regions;
a control unit for controlling said gas inhalator and said X-ray CT system, wherein said control unit operates said gas inhalator so that said mixed gas is inhaled by said specimen for a certain period of time, and determines a hepatic arterial blood flow amount and a portal blood flow amount in each of said respective regions from said picture element data while referring to an expression in which said xenon concentration in said liver tissue is determined by a xenon concentration in a hepatic arterial blood flow and a xenon concentration in a portal blood flow; and
a display unit for displaying tomographic images of said liver as represented by said plurality of picture elements obtained by said X-ray CT system, said tomographic images comprising a hepatic arterial blood flow map and a portal blood flow map, wherein said hepatic arterial blood flow map shows the hepatic arterial blood flow amount in each of said respective regions of liver tissue, and said portal blood flow map shows the portal blood flow amount in each of said respective regions of liver tissue. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification