Pocket-Sized Transthoracic Echocardiography Device for the Measurement of Cardiac Chamber Size and Function

Abstract

echnological advances in electronic miniaturization have resulted in the creation of small, portable transthoracic echocardiographic (pTTE) devices. The major advantage of a portable device is being able to provide immediate information both within and, for the first time, outside the hospital setting. Previous studies have reported that pTTE is superior to physical examination, and comparable with complete standard TTE (sTTE) as a diagnostic tool in clinical practice. 1-3 Physical examination is recognized as an initial screening method, but the skill set required to perform physical examinations has unfortunately deteriorated over the past 2 decades as medical technology has advanced. 4-6 Therefore, visualizing the heart as well as being able to calculate limited quantitative measurements of the cardiac chambers and their function, may result in improved patient care and/or understanding.Compared with a stethoscope, previous portable devices were too large and heavy (≈2.5 kg) for physicians to carry while making rounds. A pocket-sized imaging device has better portability and agility, enhancing the use of pTTE. 7 We investigated the feasibility and accuracy of pTTE for assessing cardiac chamber size and function. Methods Study PopulationThe study group consisted of 125 unselected patients (70 males, mean age 70±13 years) who were scheduled for sTTE to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function: 65 patients with coronary artery disease (24 with a history of myo- (Received November 18, 2008; revised manuscript received January 27, 2009; accepted January 28, 2009; released online April 16, 2009

The Utility of Pocket-Sized Echocardiography to Assess Left Ventricular Systolic Function Prior to Permanent Pacemaker Implantation

“…Although this study commented on the accuracy of PSE compared to sTTE in a subset of patients, this was not the primary objective. Image accuracy has been previously well described in various other patient populations [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Finally, although this study validated the use of PSE in assessing LVEF, if more extensive information on cardiac structure and function is required clinically prior to PPM implantation sTTE is superior to that of PSE.…”

“…Its size confers the advantage of portability, making PSE ideal for point-of-care evaluation, either at the bedside, or in the outpatient setting. Previous studies have examined the diagnostic accuracy of PSE, its potential clinical applications, and the training involved to maximize safety and effectiveness of its use [7][8][9][10][11]. Several studies have reported that PSE can qualitatively assess LVEF with good reliability, even when a sonographic trainee acquires and/or interprets images [12][13][14][15][16][17][18].…”

Comparison of Ultraportable Cardiac Echocardiography with Physical Examination for Diagnosis and Management during Cardiac Consultation Rounds

“…Several previous studies reported that HCU showed good concordance of diagnostic capability with SED in terms of assessing LVEF and LV dimension measurement and detecting pericardial effusion and valve disease (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) . Also, they are being placed in emergency or critical care settings to assist in the evaluation of hemodynamically compromised patients (10)(11)(12) .…”

Pocket-sized focused cardiac ultrasound: Strengths and limitations

“…Left heart dimensions measured with Acuson P10 TM and Vscan V1.2 devices are accurate when compared to high-end echocardiography performed by experienced cardiologists [13,48]. Exportation of images to a full-size screen does not improve the accuracy of measurements or diagnosis, and real-time interpretation increases efficiency [16].…”