Scope and Interpretation of the Modified Tofts Model

Steven Sourbron¹

We present a theoretical analysis which shows that the modified Tofts model only applies to tissues that are weakly vascularized and permeability-limited. In other regimes, a model of exactly the same form applies, but the parameter typically interpreted as plasma volume has a mixed interpretation. Hence, if a modified Tofts model is found to describe the data well, none of the physical parameters are measureable without further assumptions on the state of the tissue. These ambiguities can only be resolved by sampling the data fast and precise enough, so that the complete two-compartment exchange model can be fitted.