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A new image analysis method, called contiguous volume analysis, has been developed to automatically extract 3D information from emission images. The method considers volumes of activity and display,s data about them in a format which allows quantitative image comparison. This method of numerical analysis enables us to show, for example, whether or not information has been gained, lost or changed through the use of different filters and different attenuation and scatter correction, and reconstruction algorithms. Since the analysis method is consistent with a visual inspection of the data, intuitive insights into the meaning of the data are possible, allowing a better understanding of the effects of the different image processing techniques on the images. The method can be used to find patterns of activity in sets of images, and may be used to quantify noise, allowing an objective determination of which volumes in an image are meaningful.