Abstract
BackgroundThe non-invasive quantitative evaluation of left ventricle (LV) function plays a critical role in clinical cardiology. This study proposes a novel ultrasonic biomechanics method by integrating both LV vortex and wall motion to fully assess and understand the LV structure and function. The purpose of this study was to validate the ultrasonic biomechanics method as a quantifiable approach to evaluate LV function.MethodsFirstly, B-mode ultrasound images were acquired and processed, which were utilized to implement parameters for quantifying the LV vortex and wall motion respectively. Next, the parameters were compared in polyvinyl alcohol cryogen (PVA) phantoms with different degree of stiffness corresponding to different freezing and thawing cycles in vitro. Finally, the parameters were computed in vivo during one cardiac cycle to assess the LV function in normal and abnormal subjects in vivo.ResultsIn vitro study, the velocity field of PVA phantom differed with stiffness (varied elasticity modulus). The peak of strain for wall motion decreases with the increase of elasticity modulus, and periodically changed values. Statistical analysis for parameters of vortex dynamics (energy dissipation index, DI; kinetic energy fluctuations, KEF; relative strength, RS; and vorticity, W) based on different elasticity (E) of phantom depicted the good viability of this algorithm. In vivo study, the results confirmed that subjects with LV dysfunction had lower vorticity and strain (S) compared to the normal group.ConclusionUltrasonic biomechanics method can obtain the vortex and wall motion of left ventricle. The method may have potential clinical value in evaluation of LV dysfunction.
Highlights
The non-invasive quantitative evaluation of left ventricle (LV) function plays a critical role in clinical cardiology
In vitro LV results The velocity field of polyvinyl alcohol cryogen (PVA) phantom with different stiffness, which corresponds to the distinct elasticity modulus, was obtained by our biomechanics algorithm [25] as shown in Fig. 4
For the evaluation of strain of wall motion, displacements were calculated along the axial direction that are parallel to the direction of propagation of ultrasound beam, as represented by our algorithm
Summary
The non-invasive quantitative evaluation of left ventricle (LV) function plays a critical role in clinical cardiology. Much research work has already been conducted to evaluate and predict the overall cardiac health status based on quantitative parameters describing LV function. These parameters are vorticity (W), wall shear stress (WSS), relative strength (RS), energy dissipation index (DI), kinetic energy fluctuation (KEF), and vortex fluctuation. They are considered as critical indicators for detecting and monitoring abnormities of vortex dynamics with high implications on patient’s LV dysfunction [3]
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