Abstract: Medical imaging processes are disclosed for facilitating the catheter-based delivery of stem cells or other therapy to affected organ tissue, including myocardial infarct and peri-infarct tissue. The disclosed processes include the integration of static image data showing the affected tissue with a live/moving image (e.g., a fluoroscopy image) to generate a hybrid view showing the real time location of an injection catheter relative to the affected tissue. The static image data may include or be derived from one or more noninvasive nuclear medicine imaging scans (e.g., PET or SPECT) generated prior to the catheterization procedure. The live image may also be augmented with visual markers showing target and/or actual injection locations. Also disclosed are methods for calculating amounts of therapy to deliver to the affected tissue.

Abstract: Computer-assisted processes are disclosed for using nuclear medicine image studies (e.g. PET or SPECT), preferably in combination with anatomic image studies (e.g., CT or MRI), to identify and quantify regions of affected organ tissue (e.g., myocardial infarcts), and to calculate doses of stem cells or other therapy to deliver to such regions. The resulting (static) image data showing the affected tissue may also be integrated with live (moving) image data, such as a fluoroscopy image, during a subsequent interventional procedure to generate a hybrid image showing the real time location of an injection catheter relative to the affected tissue.