Volume measurement of a pediatric ventricular phantom model using three-dimensional echocardiography.
OBJECTIVE
Volume measurement of the ventricle is necessary to evaluate cardiac function. Accurate volume measurement of the ventricle by three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography will mark a new step in pediatric cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment. We studied volume measurement of a pediatric ventricular model using 3D echocardiography.


METHODS
The ultrasonic diagnostic setup used in this study comprised a Philips Sonos 7500 ultrasound system with an electronic sector probe of a ×4 matrix phased array transducer. The ventricular model was made from a latex surgical glove. The tip of the third finger of the glove was cut off and fixed to a manifold. The ventricular model was gently placed in a reservoir filled with water. Volumes of physiological saline solution ranging from 2 ml to 50 ml in 2-ml increments were injected into the ventricular model and examined. Twenty-five ultrasound images of the ventricular model were obtained using 4D Cardio View RT 1.2 software.


RESULTS
There was excellent correlation and agreement between the injected volumes and the calculated volumes (Y = -0.539 + 1.005X, r = 0.997, four cut plane; Y = -0.191 + 1.006X, r = 0.997, eight cut plane). Thus, accurate volume measurement of the ventricular model by 3D echocardiography was confirmed.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated that 3D echocardiography is highly accurate for volume measurement in a pediatric ventricular model (for volumes of 2 to 50 ml) under static conditions.
Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan. miino@jichi.ac.jp.
Mayu
M
Iino
Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
Hirohiko
H
Shiraishi
Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
Kou
K
Ichihashi
Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
Masaru
M
Hoshina
Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
Mariko Y
MY
Momoi
3D echocardiography; cardiac function; children; phantom model; volume measurement