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We examine a time of flight (TOF) approach for the analysis of contrast enhanced 4D volumetric CT angiography scans to derive and display blood velocity in arteries. Software was written to divide blood vessels into a series of cross sections and to track contrast bolus TOF along the central vessel axis, which was defined by a user, from 4D CT source data. Time density curves at each vessel cross section were fit with quadratic, Gaussian, and gamma variate functions to determine bolus time to peak (TTP). A straight line was used to plot TTP versus vessel path length for all three functions and the slope used to calculate intraluminal velocity. Software was validated in a simulated square channel and non-pulsatile flow phantom prior to the calculation of blood velocity in the major cerebral arteries of 8 normal patients. The TOF algorithm correctly calculates intra-luminal fluid velocity in eight flow conditions of the CT flow phantom where quadratic functions were used. Across all conditions, in phantoms and in vivo, the success of calculations depended strongly on having a sufficiently long path length to make measurements and avoiding venous contamination. Total blood flow into the brain was approximately 17 % of a normal 5 L cardiac output. The technique was explored in vivo in a patient with subclavian steal syndrome, in the pulmonary arteries and in the iliac artery from clinical 4D CT source data. Intravascular blood velocity and flow may be calculated from 4D CT angiography using a TOF approach.

This study uses micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging for assessment of concentration and transport mechanisms of ocular drug surrogates following intravitreal injection. Injections of an iodinated contrast agent were administered to enucleated porcine eyes prior to scanning over 192 min. Image analysis was performed using signal profiles and regions of interest that corresponded to specific iodine concentrations. Diffusion coefficients of the injected iodine solutions were calculated using nonlinear regression analysis with a diffusion model. There was a predominantly diffusive component in the movement of the contrast to the back of the eye in the horizontal (sagittalcoronal) directions, with ultimate retinal fate observed after 120 min. The diffusion coefficients were found to have a mean of 4.87 × 10(-4) mm(2) s(-1) and standard deviation of 8.39 × 10(-5) mm(2) s(-1) for 150 mg ml(-1) iodine concentration and 6.13 × 10(-4) ± 1.83 × 10(-4) mm(2) s(-1) for 37.5 mg ml(-1) concentration. However, it should be noted that these coefficients were time dependent and were found to decay as the diffusion front interacted with the retinal wall. A real-time, accurate, non-invasive method of tracking a bolus and its concentration is achieved using a high spatial resolution and fast scanning speed micro-CT system.