Future of Cardiac Ultrasound: A Glimpse

Cardiac Ultrasound

Cardiac ultrasound is also known as Echocardiography. It deals with the ultrasound imaging of a rapidly moving complex organ oriented deep within the body i.e., heart.

An electrocardiogram uses ultrasound waves to look at the shape, size and movement of the heart.

Test usually shows.

Heart Chambers

Walls and valves of the Heart

Blood vessels associated with Heart

Pericardium layer of Heart

History:

A group of engineers and doctors have a more than 30 year history for collaborative efforts on improving the techniques for imaging and investigation of the function of heart in Trondheim.

Types of Cardiac Ultrasound techniques:

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI)

Speckle tracking

3D strain

Types of Echocardiograms:

- Contrast echocardiogram

- Transthoracic echocardiogram

- Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)

- Stress echocardiogram

- Dobutamine stress echocardiogram

- Intravascular ultrasound

Uses of Echocardiogram:

Determine a heart murmur

Diagnose valve conditions

Disturbances in structure of Heart

Damage to heart walls and muscles after Heart attack

To determine the functional changes of Heart in chronic heart disease

Determine Fluid retention in n around the heart

Identify extra growths in the heart

To identify and monitor birth defects

Test blood flow through the heart

Investigate heart or major blood vessel damage caused by trauma

Test heart function and diagnose heart and lung problems in severely ill patients

Identify the blood clots within heart chambers

Advancements in Cardiac Ultrasound techniques:

- Real 3-D Image Navigation

- Vector Blood Flow and Shear Stress Imaging

- Artificial Intelligence to Aid Reproducibility

- Strain Imaging