Left ventricular image processing of 2-D echocardiograms and 3-D reconstruction of the left ventricle

Image processing systems of echocardiograms are discussed. The left ventricular boundary on every 2-D echocardiogram on consecutive frames digitized with an ECG (electrocardiogram) signal is traced automatically after initial manual drawing of the boundary on an end diastolic image. Various cardiac parameters are derived from these left ventricular boundaries over a cardiac cycle: volume change, regional wall motion, percentage shortening of regional wall and so on. 3-D shapes of the left ventricle and myocardium are reconstructed from several sequences of cross-sectional echo data. Cardiac parameters are also derived from these 3-D shapes and are shown on 3-D shapes as functional images of 3-D left ventricle.