We have developed a training and support system for echocardiography based on a 3D visualization of a virtual beating heart and the blood flow. The user can interact with the system by positioning a tracker-equipped transducer. The user is able to acquire mental images of the dynamic anatomy of the heart, a mental model for the interpretation of ultrasonic images, and skills in capturing

There have been significant advancements in the ability of echocardiography to provide both morphological and functional information in children with congenitally malformed hearts. This progress has come through the development of improved technology such as matrix array probes and software which allows for the off line analysis of images to a high standard. This article focuses on these develo...

Background Echocardiography has shown that patients with constrictive pericarditis or hemodynamically significant pericardial effusion show an increased respiratory variation in early transmitral inflow velocity. The methodology for quantification of respiratory variation in early transmitral inflow velocity using real time phase contrast (RT-PC) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) images i...

BACKGROUND Previous studies addressing teaching and learning in point-of-care ultrasound have primarily focussed on image interpretation and not on the technical quality of the images. We hypothesized that a limited intervention of 10 supervised examinations would improve the technical skills in Focus Assessed Transthoracic Echocardiography (FATE) and that physicians with no experience in FATE ...

Mailing address: Jeane Mike Tsutsui • InCor Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44 05403-000 São Paulo, SP Brazil E-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received June 15, 2006; revised received September 24, 2006; accepted October 5, 2006. Contrast echocardiography is a technique that uses a peripheral intravenous injection of microbubble contrast agents to improve the echocardiographic si...

OBJECTIVE To review the current status of echocardiography in critically ill patients with special reference to the advantages and disadvantages of the transthoracic and transoesophageal approaches. DATA SOURCES A review of articles published in peer reviewed journals from 1976-1999 and identified through a MEDLINE search on echocardiography. SUMMARY OF REVIEW Echocardiography is a rapidly ...

99 T his book offers a clear and concise treatment of echocardiography of the heart from the perspective of the cardiac surgeon. The authors emphasize the idea that the cardiac surgeon should be familiar with the technology of ultrasound to augment his or her ability to diagnose and treat cardiac disease requiring surgery. They do so in a superb manner with well-written text and with many illus...

AIMS To evaluate the relationships between measures of left ventricular (LV) filling dynamics at cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) imaging and indexes of LV diastolic function at transthoracic echocardiography. METHODS AND RESULTS Two hundred and forty-seven patients underwent myocardial perfusion imaging at rest and after stress with a low-dose CZT protocol and a baseline transthoracic echocardio...

With advancements in high frequency transducers, transesophageal (TEE) and transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTE) are emerging as promising methods for the evaluation of coronary arteries. In addition to visualizing images for the detection of stenosis of the proximal and distal coronary arteries, as well as various kinds of coronary artery anomalies, the functional assessment through mea...