Rapid and accurate measurement of left ventricular function with a new second-harmonic fast-rotating transducer and semi-automated border detection

Echocardiography. 2006 Jul;23(6):447-54. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8175.2006.00241.x.

Abstract

Measurement of left ventricular (LV) volume and function are the most common clinical referral questions to the echocardiography laboratory. A fast, practical, and accurate method would offer important advantages to obtain this important information. To validate a new practical method for rapid measurement of LV volume and function. We developed a continuous fast-rotating transducer, with second-harmonic capabilities, for three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE). Fifteen cardiac patients underwent both 3DE and magnetic resonance imaging (reference method) on the same day. 3DE image acquisition was performed during a 10-second breath-hold with a frame rate of 100 frames/sec and a rotational speed of 6 rotations/sec. The individual images were postprocessed with Matlab software using multibeat data fusion. Subsequently, with these images, 12 datasets per cardiac cycle were reconstructed, each comprising seven equidistant cross-sectional images for analysis in the new TomTec 4DLV analysis software, which uses a semi-automated border detection (ABD) algorithm. The ABD requires an average analysis time of 15 minutes per patient. A strong correlation was found between LV end-diastolic volume (r = 0.99; y = 0.95x - 1.14 ml; SEE = 6.5 ml), LV end-systolic volume (r = 0.96; y = 0.89x + 7.91 ml; SEE = 7.0 ml), and LV ejection fraction (r = 0.93; y = 0.69x + 13.36; SEE = 2.4%). Inter- and intraobserver agreement for all measurements was good. The fast-rotating transducer with new ABD software is a dedicated tool for rapid and accurate analysis of LV volume and function.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / instrumentation*
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Linear Models
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Observer Variation
  • Software
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Stroke Volume
  • Transducers*
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / diagnostic imaging*