title: On-line assessment of ventricular function by automatic boundary detection and ultrasonic backscatter imaging.
abstract: To provide an approach suitable for on-line analysis of ventricular function, a conventional two-dimensional ultrasound imaging system was modified to detect and track blood-tissue interfaces in real time based on their quantitative acoustic properties. This modification permitted on-line display of the left ventricular cavity area, fractional area change, volumes and ejection fraction on a beat by beat basis. Images were obtained from 54 patients and 12 normal subjects with broad ranges of ventricular dimensions and systolic function. On-line measurements of cavity areas were compared with off-line measurements of cavity areas (analysis of videotaped conventional images). Left ventricular cavity areas measured on-line from short-axis views correlated closely with off-line views as did areas from apical views. On-line fractional area change correlated well with ejection fraction calculated off-line. More than 70% of patients could be studied adequately with the approach developed. Thus, automatic boundary detection based on quantitative assessment of tissue acoustic properties permits on-line quantitation of ventricular cavity areas and indexes of function.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Waggoner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barzilai
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Melton
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Sobel
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009862:Online Systems; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*