Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 3, 2026
06:34
Evaluation of Left Ventricular Structure and Function using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
On the human left ventricular shape
1The Julius Silver Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Heart System Research Center, Haifa, Israel.
Summary
Left ventricular (LV) geometry significantly impacts heart function. This study found that reduced conicity is a key geometric difference in pathological hearts compared to healthy ones, influencing cardiac efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular research
- Biomedical engineering
- Medical imaging analysis
Background:
- Cardiac geometry is crucial for heart function.
- Understanding left ventricular (LV) shape variations is key to diagnosing cardiac conditions.
- Previous studies have not fully characterized LV 3D shape independent of size and aspect ratio.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analytically characterize the three-dimensional (3D) geometric properties of the left ventricle (LV).
- To exclude the influence of aspect ratio and size in the analysis of LV shape.
- To compare the 3D LV shape of healthy individuals with that of patients with pathological hearts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Cine-CT scans of 10 healthy and 9 pathological human hearts.
- Reconstructed 3D LV models at end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES) from traced endocardial borders.
- Employed a normalized helical shape descriptor (geometrical cardiogram, GCG) and discrete cosine transform (DCT) for shape analysis.
Main Results:
- The normal LV 3D shape was accurately approximated using seven DCT coefficients.
- Conicity remained constant from ED to ES in healthy hearts.
- Pathological hearts exhibited significantly reduced conicity compared to normal hearts.
Conclusions:
- LV shape can be effectively described using DCT coefficients, with conicity being a stable feature in healthy hearts.
- Reduced conicity is a significant geometric marker differentiating pathological from normal LV.
- The conical shape of the LV may play a role in ejection efficiency.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Anatomy of the Heart
The human heart is made up of three layers of tissue that are surrounded by the pericardium, a membrane that protects and confines the heart. The outermost layer, closest to the pericardium, is the epicardium. The pericardial cavity separates the pericardium from the epicardium. Beneath the epicardium is the myocardium, the middle layer, and the endocardium, the innermost layer. There are four chambers of the heart: the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium, and the left ventricle.
01:13Location and Orientation of the Heart
The human heart, despite its modest size and weight, is an organ of remarkable strength and endurance. Roughly the size of a fist, the heart weighs between 250 and 350 grams and is nestled within the mediastinum, the medial cavity of the thorax. It extends obliquely for about 12 to 14 cm, resting on the superior surface of the diaphragm. The heart is positioned anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum, with two-thirds of its mass lying to the left of the midsternal line.
01:16Chambers of the Heart
The human heart is a complex organ made up of four chambers: the right and left atria and the right and left ventricles. These internal chambers are separated by partitions known as the interatrial and interventricular septa. The exterior of the heart features a groove known as the coronary sulcus that demarcates the atria from the ventricles, while the anterior and posterior interventricular sulci distinguish between the two ventricles.
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...
01:16Heart Valves
The human heart is a complex organ with an intricate system of valves that regulate blood flow. There are two main types of valves: atrioventricular (AV) valves and semilunar valves.
The AV valves prevent the backflow of blood from the ventricles to the atria during ventricular contraction. These valves function with the assistance of the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles. When the ventricles are relaxed, the chordae tendineae are slack, allowing blood to flow from the atria into the...
The AV valves prevent the backflow of blood from the ventricles to the atria during ventricular contraction. These valves function with the assistance of the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles. When the ventricles are relaxed, the chordae tendineae are slack, allowing blood to flow from the atria into the...
01:27Development of the Heart
The development of the human heart, a crucial organ, commences from the mesoderm on the 18th or 19th day after fertilization. This process initiates in the cardiogenic area, a group of mesodermal cells at the embryo's head end, which evolves into elongated strands known as cardiogenic cords. These cords undergo a transformation to form hollow-centered endocardial tubes.
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...
01:20Anatomy of the Heart
The heart is a hollow, muscular organ approximately the size of a fist, consisting of four chambers. It is enclosed in the pericardium, a fibrous sac with two layers: the visceral and parietal pericardium, separated by a fluid-filled space containing serous fluid to reduce friction.
The heart has three layers: the innermost endocardium, the muscular myocardium, and the outer epicardium, all working together for optimal cardiac function.
Chambers of the Heart
The heart is made up of four...
The heart has three layers: the innermost endocardium, the muscular myocardium, and the outer epicardium, all working together for optimal cardiac function.
Chambers of the Heart
The heart is made up of four...