Contractile Fronts In The Interventricular Septum: A Case For High Frame Rate Echocardiographic Imaging

The real time high frame rate (HFR) 2-dimensional ultrasound system, T5, at Duke University is capable of imaging at up to 1000 images per second for adult cardiac imaging. A method for detecting and visualizing the mechanical contraction fronts using HFR echocardioagraphy-derived Strain Rate Image (SRI) was described in 26 patients. The Tissue Shortening Onset front durations for echocardiographic normal patients were significantly shorter than conduction disorder patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) with intrinsic conduction and conduction disorder patients without LBBB (non-LBBB) with simulated LBBB (sLBBB). Echocardiographic normal patients had significantly higher correlation coefficients between their SRIs and spatially inverted versions of themselves compared to non-LBBB patients with intrinsic conduction and sLBBB. In conclusion, SRIs could spatially resolve contractile event fronts in patients.