The Science of Calibration: Why Every Camera Lies Until You Teach It the Truth
- Richard M Fleming, PhD, MD, JD
- Oct 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 25
Introduction
In medicine, trust in the image is everything.
Yet the uncomfortable truth is that no medical camera can be trusted until it is calibrated.
Every imaging system — whether PET, SPECT, CT, or MRI — distorts data slightly. These distortions are invisible to the naked eye but devastating for precision. Without calibration, doctors are not measuring; they are guessing.
This is why FMTVDM® (Fleming Method for Tissue & Vascular Differentiation and Metabolism) begins where others end: by calibrating the imaging system to deliver true, quantitative measurement.
Why Calibration Is the Foundation of Measurement
Calibration is the bridge between seeing and knowing.
In physics, no instrument is valid unless its readings are standardized against a known reference. You wouldn’t trust an uncalibrated scale to weigh medicine; why trust an uncalibrated camera to measure life and disease?
FMTVDM® corrects this error by establishing a quantifiable standard curve — a reproducible reference that turns raw counts into real physiological data.
Once calibrated, the imaging system can detect the smallest measurable changes in tissue health, vascular flow, and metabolism.
“Calibration is the moment when a camera stops being a toy and starts being a scientific instrument.”
— Dr. Richard M. Fleming
The Fleming Calibration Principle
FMTVDM® calibration follows a patented process defined in U.S. Patent No. 9,566,037 B2:
Establish a Known Reference
The imaging system is calibrated to a defined standard of activity (radiation counts correlated to tissue behavior).
Apply Controlled Imaging Conditions
Acquisition times, distances, and isotope doses are precisely managed — ensuring data reproducibility across imaging centers and nations.
Generate a Quantitative Equation
Data are processed using Fleming’s patented A.I.2 algorithms and proprietary equations, converting “images” into measurable physiologic values.
Enable Reproducibility and Comparison
Every calibrated camera now “speaks the same scientific language,” enabling true comparison of patient data, time points, and global studies.
What Happens When Calibration Is Ignored
When imaging is performed without calibration, results depend on uncontrolled variables — isotope decay, patient weight, distance from detector, and machine variability.
This leads to:
False negatives (disease missed due to signal loss)
False positives (healthy tissue misread as abnormal)
Poor reproducibility (inconsistent clinical trials)
Costly repeat imaging
FMTVDM® eliminates these errors by making measurement absolute, not relative.
How Calibration Enables Quantitative Imaging
After calibration, imaging data no longer depend on “visual interpretation.” Instead, FMTVDM® quantifies health through measurable parameters:
Blood Flow: Actual perfusion values (not visual gradients)
Metabolic Uptake: Quantified isotope retention
Health-Spectrum Position: Where the tissue sits between optimal health and disease
This transforms the camera into a measurement device — essential for detecting early disease and monitoring response to treatment.
From Physics to Patient Care
Dr. Fleming’s physics background made this leap possible.
While others relied on “imaging looks,” his method applies the laws of energy, mass balance, quantum mechanics, and signal calibration — turning radiologic art into reproducible science.
Today, FMTVDM® is used to:
Quantify coronary blood flow
Measure infection and inflammation (ITIRD response)
Track cancer progression and therapy effectiveness
Standardize multi-center research trials
Each depends on a simple rule: no calibration, no measurement.
The Global Implication: Calibrated Medicine for All Nations
The Select Nation Status (SNS) initiative extends this capability globally — enabling nations to train their imaging centers, implement calibration standards, and achieve measurable health outcomes.
By ensuring calibration, nations gain:
Reliable diagnostic reproducibility
Lower healthcare costs (fewer repeat studies)
True health-spectrum mapping across populations
“When you calibrate a camera, you calibrate medicine itself. That’s the foundation for measurable healthcare.”
— Dr. Richard M. Fleming
Key Takeaways
✅ Every camera lies until it is calibrated.
✅ Calibration is not optional — it is the scientific foundation of truth.
✅ FMTVDM® converts images into measurements through patented calibration.
✅ Calibrated imaging produces reproducible, global health data.
✅ Without calibration, medicine remains qualitative and uncertain.
Conclusion
The Science of Calibration is more than a technical step — it is the moral and scientific cornerstone of measurable medicine.
Through FMTVDM®, Dr. Richard M. Fleming has proven that when imaging becomes quantitative, healthcare becomes accountable. Calibration isn’t just about machines — it’s about restoring trust in what we measure, see, and treat.
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