FMTVDM®: Broad Scientific and Institutional Recognition of the First Quantitative Method in Nuclear Imaging
- Richard M Fleming, PhD, MD, JD
- Jan 15
- 4 min read
For decades, nuclear imaging has relied on qualitative or semi‑quantitative (SUV) interpretation—visual impressions, relative uptake patterns, and population‑based assumptions.
Clinicians were left to infer disease severity rather than measure it.
That paradigm shifted with the development of FMTVDM® (The Fleming Method for Tissue and Vascular Differentiation and Metabolism), the first and only patented, fully quantitative method capable of measuring disease activity across cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious and inflammatory—i.e. InflammoThrombotic Immunologic Response (ITIR) Disease (ITIRD)—conditions.
What distinguishes FMTVDM® is not only its scientific innovation, but the breadth of independent recognition it has received from leading medical societies, academic institutions, government agencies, and international scientific communities. Few diagnostic methods achieve this level of cross‑disciplinary acknowledgment.
Peer‑Reviewed and Published Research
FMTVDM® is supported by a robust body of peer‑reviewed publications demonstrating its ability to quantify regional blood flow and metabolic activity simultaneously. These studies established a reproducible, physics‑based framework for measuring disease—rather than inferring it—marking a structural shift in diagnostic imaging.
"True quantification requires standardization of the tool being used to measure, with a known, unchanging standard to produce accurate, consistent and reproducible quantified measurements." — Journal of Nuclear Cardiology, 2018
"Quantifiable absolute counts can then be compared using today’s SPECT cameras… allowing the clinician to better interpret disease." — Federal Practitioner, 2010
"Coronary flow reserve begins to decline at a percent stenosis of 15–20%." — Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 2000
These findings confirm that FMTVDM® is not a theoretical model—it is a validated, reproducible, and clinically deployed method.
Major Professional Society Acknowledgment
FMTVDM® has been formally presented to and acknowledged by the leading scientific bodies responsible for advancing nuclear imaging standards worldwide:
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC)
FMTVDM® was published in the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology, ASNC’s official journal, and presented at ASNC conferences, affirming its relevance to cardiovascular imaging and nuclear medicine.
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI)
FMTVDM® has been published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM), the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (EJMMI), as well as presented at SNMMI conferences, including sessions on isotope redistribution and quantitative perfusion imaging.
These acknowledgments reflect institutional acceptance of FMTVDM® as a quantitative standard.
Government and Public Health Recognition
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC mortality estimates on obesity and inflammation were cited in FMTVDM® research, reinforcing its relevance to public health surveillance and chronic disease management. Part of this research was presented per the request of the CDC during an International Conference held in Greece.
United States Senate — Letter of Support from Senator Chuck Grassley
"Your attempt to improve medical care as a provider and through education regarding improving testing methods should be commended.""I will continue to look for legislative vehicles to improve health care services and testing implemented and regulated by the federal government." — Senator Charles E. Grassley, July 2011
Publication in the only US Government Peer Reviewed Medical Journal
Where the research was not only provided for U.S. Professionals of the VA, DoD and PHS, but it was also the cover feature for the medical journal.
This level of federal acknowledgment is rare for a diagnostic imaging method and underscores FMTVDM®’s policy relevance.
International Academic and Scientific Engagement
FMTVDM® has been recognized and presented internationally, demonstrating its global scientific relevance:
Keimyung University (South Korea)
Engagement reflects academic interest in quantitative imaging and precision diagnostics.
Australia–New Zealand Nuclear Medicine and Imaging Community
Presentations to this community demonstrate acknowledgment by international leaders committed to advancing imaging accuracy and reproducibility.
German Conference Presentations
The first country outside of the United States to embrace FMTVDM's ability to accurately quantify coronary artery disease was Germany, at the 1st Congress on Controversies in Cardiovascular Diseases: Diagnosis, Treatment and Intervention, held in Berlin, Germany in 2008.
Why This Recognition Matters
Recognition from diverse, independent institutions—spanning cardiology, oncology, infectious disease, public health, government, and international academia—matters for one central reason:
FMTVDM® introduces measurement where estimation once dominated.
By providing a true quantitative standard, FMTVDM® enables clinicians and researchers to:
Measure disease severity objectively
Track progression or regression over time
Compare treatment responses accurately
Reduce diagnostic ambiguity
Improve reproducibility across institutions
This is not an incremental improvement. It is a structural paradigm shifting advancement in medicine.
A Shift Toward Measured Medicine
The acknowledgment of FMTVDM® by ASNC, SNMMI, the CDC, international universities, and national policymakers reflects a growing consensus:
Medicine must move from subjective interpretation to objective measurement.
FMTVDM® stands at the center of this shift—providing a validated, quantitative framework capable of unifying diagnostics across heart disease, cancer, and infectious conditions.
Looking Forward
As healthcare systems increasingly demand evidence‑based, reproducible, and accountable diagnostics and theranostics, the recognition already afforded to FMTVDM® positions it as the foundational method for the next generation of nuclear imaging and precision medicine.
The story of FMTVDM and the ITIRD Theory is not simply one of invention—it is one of acknowledged transformation across medicine, science, and public health.
Video Collage of Recognition
A companion video collage is provided at the end of this blog, showcasing numerous publications discussing the benefits of FMTVDM for diagnostic measurement of heart disease, cancer, infections and other InflammoThrombotic Immunologic Response (ITIR) Diseases (ITIRDs), in addition to FMTVDM’s ability to measure whether treatments for these ITIRDs were working or not. This visual archive reinforces the breadth and depth of acknowledgment FMTVDM and will continue to receive.
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