Heart wall motion analysis by dynamic 3D strain rate imaging from tissue Doppler echocardiography

Abstract

The knowledge about the complex three-dimensional (3D) heart wall motion pattern, particular in the left ventricle, provides valuable information about potential malfunctions, e.g., myocardial ischemia. Nowadays, echocardiography (cardiac ultrasound) is the predominant technique for evaluation of cardiac function. Beside morphology, tissue velocities can be obtained by Doppler techniques (tissue Doppler imaging, TDI). Strain rate imaging (SRI) is a new technique to diagnose heart vitality. It provides information about the contraction ability of the myocardium. Two-dimensional color Doppler echocardiography is still the most important clinical method for estimation of morphology and function. Two-dimensional methods leads to a lack of information due to the three-dimensional overall nature of the heart movement. Due to this complex three-dimensional motion pattern of the heart, the knowledge about velocity and strain rate distribution over the whole ventricle can provide more valuable diagnostic information about motion disorders. For the assessment of intracardiac blood flow three-dimensional color Doppler has already shown its clinical utility. We have developed methods to produce strain rate images by means of 3D tissue Doppler echocardiography. The tissue Doppler and strain rate images can be visualized and quantified by different methods. The methods are integrated into an interactively usable software environment, making them available in clinical everyday life. Our software provides the physician with a valuable tool for diagnosis of heart wall motion.