title: Frequency domain analysis of contrast echocardiographic images.
abstract: Sequences of echocontrastographic images of the dog's myocardium are analysed in the frequency domain for the identification of underperfused areas. Owing to the fact that echo images are contaminated by noise and artifacts, we have applied filtering techniques based on Fourier's methods in sequences of raw frames recorded during perfusion with a contrast agent. Thus we have been able to assess correctly the spatial and temporal distribution of the contrast, i.e. the agent kinetics which parallel the distribution of coronary blood flow, in terms of the time necessary for the flow gradient to reach its maximum value, and to describe such a distribution by a functional image obtained by means of an original procedure.
authors.affiliation: CNR Clinical Physiology Institute, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ferdeghini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Landini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rovai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Pieri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: L'Abbate
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benassi
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003199:Computer Systems; D003287:Contrast Media; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012985:Software Design
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media