Ultrasonic quantification of valvular regurgitant blood flow
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorXiang-Ning Li
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Valvular regurgitation is assessed by identifying a characteristic regurgitation jet in a colorflow image. An M-line is placed over the region of regurgitation and Doppler M-mode information is acquired from the flow convergence region adjacent the regurgitant orifice. The Doppler M-mode information, acquired at a higher acquisition rate than the colorflow frame rate, is used to produce a measure of the regurgitant flow rate and volume through the orifice. The flow rate can be used with velocity data acquired during the regurgitation event to produce a dynamic estimate of the size of the regurgitant valve orifice.
Claims27
A method of ultrasonically assessing valve regurgitation in the cardiovascular system comprising:
- acquiring ultrasonic images at a given frame rate of a region of a body which includes a valve;
- identifying a suspected regurgitant valve in one of the images;
- locating a cursor in the image which is located on a line extending through the suspected regurgitant valve;
- acquiring velocity information along the line at a repetition rate which is greater than the given frame rate;
- and
- utilizing the velocity information to estimate regurgitant flow through the suspected valve.
A method of ultrasonically assessing valve regurgitation in the cardiovascular system comprising:
- displaying on a display a colorflow Doppler image of a suspected regurgitant valve in which the plane of the valve is approximately normal to the plane of the display;
- displaying in the image an M-line directed through the valve;
- and
- simultaneously displaying a Doppler M-mode display acquired from the M-line located in the colorflow Doppler image.
A method of ultrasonically assessing valve regurgitation in the cardiovascular system comprising:
- acquiring velocity information from the vicinity of a suspected regurgitant valve by the Doppler M-mode technique;
- utilizing the velocity information to display regurgitant volume flow rate as a function of time during a given cardiac cycle;
- and
- displaying regurgitant flow velocity as a function of time during the given cardiac cycle.
A method of ultrasonically assessing valve regurgitation in the cardiovascular system comprising:
- identifying a suspected regurgitant valve in a colorflow Doppler image;
- acquiring Doppler M-mode information from the region of the suspected regurgitant valve;
- and
- utilizing the Doppler M-mode information to estimate regurgitant flow through the suspected valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.