On-line assessment of ventricular function by automatic boundary detection and ultrasonic backscatter imaging

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 313 - 320
• Main Authors: Pérez, Julio E., Waggoner, Alan D., Barzilai, Benico, Melton, H.E., Miller, James G., Sobel, Burton E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.1992; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Algorithms; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular system; Echocardiography - methods; Heart Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Medical sciences; Online Systems; Stroke Volume - physiology; Ultrasonic investigative techniques; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology; Sonography; Human; Echocardiography; Detection threshold; Cardiovascular disease; Automatic analysis; Left ventricle performance
• ISSN: 0735-1097
• DOI: 10.1016/0735-1097(92)90484-5

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.