In Vivo Comparison of Multiline Transmission and Diverging Wave Imaging for High-Frame-Rate Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography

Abstract

High frame rate (HFR) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) assesses myocardial function by quantifying motion and deformation at high temporal resolution. Among the proposed HFR techniques, Multi-Line Transmission (MLT) and Diverging Wave (DW) imaging have been used in this context both being characterized by specific advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, in this paper, we directly contrast both approaches in an in-vivo setting while operating at the same frame rate. First, images were recorded at baseline (resting condition) from healthy volunteers and patients. Next, additional acquisitions during stress echocardiography were performed on volunteers. Each scan was contoured and processed by a previously proposed 2D HFR STE algorithm based on cross-correlation. Then, strain curves and their end-systolic (ES) values were extracted for all myocardial segments for further statistical analysis. The baseline acquisitions did not reveal differences in estimated strain between the acquisition modes (p>0.35); myocardial segments (p>0.3) nor an interaction between imaging mode and depth (p>0.87). Similarly, during stress testing, no difference (p=0.7) was observed for the two scan sequences, stress levels nor an interaction sequence-stress level (p=0.94). Overall, our findings show that MLT and DW compounding give comparable HFR STE strain values and that the choice for using one method or the other may thus rather be based on other factors, e.g. system requirements or computational cost. Index Terms-Speckle tracking, high frame rate, multiline transmission, diverging waves, echocardiography, in-vivo images. I. INTRODUCTION The non-invasive quantification of myocardial function is an important goal in clinical cardiology [1], [2]. Among the techniques to assess myocardial function [3]-[7], speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), which allows a semiautomatic and angle-independent quantification of myocardial deformation, has been shown useful in a multitude of cardiac conditions [8]-[11]. However, in current clinical practice, STE is based on conventional B-mode imaging at relatively low frame rate (FR), i.e. typically lower than 80Hz, thereby limiting M.

Translating High-Frame-Rate Imaging into Clinical Practice: Where Do We Stand?

“…This is called "echocardiographic particle image velocimetry" (echo-PIV), and it can assess blood motion in any direction within the B-mode image plane. [70,71] The technique, however, suffers from the varying and limited density of contrast reflectors and the too low frame rate of the regular grey scale imaging, which hardly allows the resolution of flow velocities beyond 40 cm/s. [64] The recent development of high-frame-rate ultrasound made a new approach to blood flow assessment possible.…”

“…2) Flow velocity mapping using 3D ultrafast Doppler coronary angiography at early diastole. (From Correia et al [70] with permission.) and electrical function of the heart.…”

Concepts and applications of ultrafast cardiac ultrasound imaging

“…Tissue Doppler ultrasound with frame rates up to 300 frames per second would be a valid alternative, but it is limited by its one‐dimensional assessment of tissue velocities only along the ultrasound beam. Hence, dedicated high frame rate STE algorithms are being developed in order combine the high temporal resolution of ultrafast ultrasound imaging with the 2D information of speckle‐tracking algorithms 42–45 . Thus, high frame rate imaging might lead to the incorporation of STE in the routine stress‐ or fetal echocardiography, that certainly benefit from temporally resolved myocardial deformation 3,42,43 …”

“…Hence, dedicated high frame rate STE algorithms are being developed in order combine the high temporal resolution of ultrafast ultrasound imaging with the 2D information of speckle-tracking algorithms. [42][43][44][45] Thus, high frame rate imaging might lead to the incorporation of STE in the routine stress-or fetal echocardiography, that certainly benefit from temporally resolved myocardial deformation. 3,42,43…”

Speckle Tracking Algorithm-Based Cardiac Color Ultrasound in Diagnosis of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Combined with Heart Failure

“…It marks the motion trajectory of the same position in different frames by tracking its position in the image, to calculate the angle of cardiac rotation. Orlowska et al [9] combined contour tracking and speckle tracking.…”