A contrast echocardiography image analysis workstation used to quantify myocardial blood flow using left atrial injection of contrast

Abstract

A contrast echocardiography workstation was developed and used to determine whether the myocardial transit rate of microbubbles injected into the left atrium would also correlate with regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF). End diastolic images were analyzed and time intensity plots are automatically derived from the anterior myocardium. It has been found that there is a close linear correlation between myocardial microbubble transit rate and RMBF in the 7 dogs tested (r=0.83, SEE=0.14, p<0.001). A poor correlation was noted between cardiac output and myocardial microbubble transit rate (r=0.43, p=0.14) suggesting that the myocardial transit rate of the microbubbles was not merely reflecting the input function. These findings and image analysis techniques may form the basis of measuring RMBF during myocardial contrast echocardiography following an intravenous injection of contrast.<>