Theoretical analysis of regional blood flow studies

Regional blood flow measurements were analyzed using a two-compartment model. The distribution of injected tracer between blood and tissue was assumed to be in equilibrium only at the beginning of the experiment. Equations for the determination of the partition coefficient of injected radionuclides from in vivo measurements were derived. These equations can also be used for estimation of the relative blood content of a tumor or an organ. The results were applied to experiments, where three diffusible radionuclides were injected simultaneously into patients with diagnosed tumors.