Initial Experience with an Internally Rotating Transthoracic Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Probe and Image Acquisition on a Conventional Echocardiogram Machine.
Three-dimensional echocardiography has required motorized external scanning devices that move a standard echo transducer to obtain data sets before reconstruction. These transducer holders are susceptible to axis alignment errors and transducer movement. The use of a three-dimensional workstation makes acquisition cumbersome. An internally rotating 5-MHz "omniplane" transthoracic transducer, specifically designed for three-dimensional echocardiography, and an integrated three-dimensional acquisition software package that allows single machine acquisitions were validated in 50 pediatric patients. Children were 1 day to 16 years old and had 22 different cardiac pathological conditions imaged. Ninety-eight of the 104 (94%) data sets collected were successfully reconstructed in three dimensions. Acquisitions took 3-6 minutes depending on the increment of internal rotation. Minimum total study time to set up and complete the acquisition was 12 minutes. The new probe and software makes three-dimensional acquisitions and reconstructions of consistently high quality, rapid, reliable, and user friendly.
Papavassiliou
Dimitrios
D
2040 Ridgwood Drive, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30322.
Doelling
Nancy R.
NR
Bowman
Michael K.
MK
Yeung
Hubert
H
Rock
Joseph
J
Klas
Berthold
B
Chung
Kevin
K
Fyfe
Derek A.
DA