ONLINE QUANTIFICATION OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR FUNCTION BY AUTOMATIC BOUNDARY DETECTION AND ULTRASONIC BACKSCATTER IMAGING

Evaluation of left ventricular (LV) function is indispensable in clinical cardiologic practice. However, on-line quantification of LV function by 2dimensional echocardiography is cumbersome.1-3 Therefore, a system providing automated and on-line delineation of endocardium and epicardium is most desirable to derive indexes of global and regional LV function. Such a system was recently developed, using an endocardial edgedetection algorithm based on integrated backscatter imaging, implementing LV cavity areas in real time.4 The present study examines the reliability of this system by comparing the on-line, computer-generated measurements with off-line, manually detined areas of the LV cavity. © 1993.