Multi-View 3-D Fusion Echocardiography: Enhancing Clinical Feasibility with a Novel Processing Technique

Abstract

A novel system for fusing 3-D echocardiography data sets from complementary acoustic windows was evaluated in 12 healthy volunteers and 12 patients with heart failure. We hypothesized that 3-D fusion would enable 3-D echocardiography in patients with limited acoustic windows. At least nine 3-D data sets were recorded, while three infrared cameras tracked the position and orientation of the transducer and chest respiratory movements. Corresponding 2-D planes of the fused 3-D data sets and of single-view 3-D data sets were assessed for image quality and compared with measurements of left ventricular function obtained with contrast 2-D echocardiography. The signal-to-noise ratio in accurately fused 3-D echocardiography recordings improved by 55% in systole (p < 0.001) and 47% in diastole (p < 0.00001) compared with the apical single-view recordings. The 3-D data sets acquired during short breath holds were successfully fused in 11 of 12 patients. The improvement in endocardial border definition (from 11.7 § 6.0 to 24.0 § 3.3, p < 0.01) enabled quantitative assessment of left ventricular function in 10 patients, with no significant difference in ejection fraction compared with contrast 2-D echocardiography. In patients with heart failure and limited acoustic windows, the novel fusion protocol provides 3-D data sets suitable for quantitative analysis of left ventricular function.

Two-Step Rigid and Non-Rigid Image Registration for the Alignment of Three-Dimensional Echocardiography Sequences From Multiple Views

“…However, the practicality of employing multiple pulses in multibeat modality is constrained by the need for precise control of breathing and maintaining normal heart rate during the image acquisition process [20]. Although there have been technological advancements, many acquired RT3DE images tend to be of poor quality, characterized by the absence of anatomical information, decreased spatial and temporal resolution, speckle noise, and a limited field of view (FOV) compared to 2D images [21], [22]. By registering RT3DE images obtained from several windows, it is possible to enhance the recognition of structures and achieve a substantial improvement in image quality [23].…”