3-D quantitative visualization of endocardial peak velocities during systole and diastole

Quantitative assessment of regional heart motion has the potential to provide diagnostic data for assessment of cardiac malfunction. Local heart motion may be obtained with various medical imaging scanners, so the goal is to provide an imaging modality-independent display/analysis technique. In this study, 3D reconstructions of a canine heart before and after infarction were obtained from the Dynamic Spatial Reconstructor (DSR)^1-3 at 15 time points throughout one cardiac cycle. Deformable models of each time point were created. Through this process regional excursions and velocities in the mesh can be assigned to represent a piece of endocardium, which can be calculated for each time-point interval. These calculations are based on the distance change between a single vertex of the mesh and the model centerline from LV apex to aortic/mitral valve separation. This allows computation of color maps corresponding to regional values of contraction or dilation motion of the endocardium relative to the LV long axis (centerline) during systole and/or diastole. These color maps can be illustrated through model animations and multi view static, images. Using functional parametric mappings of disturbances in regional contractility and relaxation facilitates appreciation of the effect of altered structure-to-function relationships in the myocardium.