The β cells in the pancreas are crucial for the body's regulation of insulin and their malfunction causes Type 1 diabetes. Noninvasive imaging methods are required to assess the functional capacity of existing β cell, namely the volume of functional cells. Current approaches, however, cannot provide an accurate measure of β cell volume. This technology is a novel PET data analysis method for the quantification of the total functional β cell volume in the pancreas. The technology provides a new method for the diagnosis of diabetes using accurate and noninvasive methods.
Vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT 2) is a protein that is present in β cells and is selectively bound by [11C]dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ). PET imaging can spatially detect the presence of radiolabeled tracers such as DTBZ in vivo. This technology comprises a new data analysis method that can produce a 3D map of functional β cells using voxels (3D pixels) that express positively for the radiotracer. The volume of positively identified β cells is directly correlated to pancreatic function. Unlike other methods, this technology does not require additional imaging data or biological tests for calibration of a data-fitting model. This technology provides an improved method for PET imaging data analysis and the diagnosis of diabetes.
Patent Issued (US 8,652,440)
Tech Ventures Reference: IR 2182