Layer-specific assessment of left ventricular function by utilizing wavelet de-noising: a validation study.
Regional myocardial function assessment is essential for diagnosis and evaluation of heart disease. The purpose of this study was to enhance the spatial resolution of a speckle tracking echocardiography approach and enable layer-specific analysis of the myocardium. Following validation with software-implemented and mechanical phantoms versus imposed values, short-axis cines were obtained from 50 rats. The cines were post-processed by a speckle tracking commercial program, and the myocardial velocities were processed by a three-dimensional wavelet de-noising program, instead of the built-in smoothing process of the commercial program. Software-implemented phantom measurements yielded rotation errors of 7.5%, 2.9%, and 3.4%, for inner, middle, and outer layers, respectively. Analysis of a shrinking/expanding mechanical phantom yielded strain errors of 3%, 5%, and 7% for the three layers. Bland-Altman analysis showed agreement between the commercial and enhanced programs. Thus, layer-specific analysis is feasible while using echocardiography even on small animals such as rats.
Bachner-Hinenzon
Noa
N
Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion City, Haifa, Israel. noab@tx.technion.ac.il
Ertracht
Offir
O
Lysiansky
Michael
M
Binah
Ofer
O
Adam
Dan
D
D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012399:Rotation; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*