Real-time, 3-dimensional echocardiography acquires all standard 2-dimensional images from 2 volume sets: a clinical demonstration in 45 patients

• Published in: Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Takuma, S, Zwas, D R, Fard, A, Wu, H, Chaudhry, H, Di Tullio, M R, Ota, T, Homma, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.1999
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Compact Disks; Data Display; Echocardiography - instrumentation; Echocardiography - methods; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional - instrumentation; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional - methods; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - instrumentation; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Sternum - anatomy & histology; Thorax - anatomy & histology; Time Factors; Transducers
• ISSN: 0894-7317
• DOI: 10.1016/S0894-7317(99)70166-5

To test the hypothesis that real-time, 3-dimensional (3-D) echocardiography can obtain all standard 2-dimensional (2-D) views from acquisition of 2 volume sets, we scanned 45 patients (24 men, 21 women; mean age 49 +/- 17 years). This real-time 3-D device (VOLUMETRICS Medical Imaging, Durham, NC) uses a matrix phased array transducer in a 60 degree pyramidal volume. Images are displayed as 2 steerable, intersecting, conventional 2-D image sectors that can be oriented throughout 3-D space. By using this equipment, we were able to obtain 93.3% of standard views from a parasternal volume set and 85.2% of standard views from an apical volume set. The mean scanning time was 91 +/- 19 seconds for the parasternal volume set and 86 +/- 22 seconds for the apical volume set. We conclude that standard 2-D views can be obtained in the majority of patients by using this method. This equipment has the potential to substantially decrease the imaging time compared with the standard 2-D echocardiography.