Initial experience with an internally rotating transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiographic probe and image acquisition on a conventional echocardiogram machine

Three-dimensional echocardiography has required motorized external scanning devices that move a standard echo transducer to obtain data sets before reconstruction These transducer holders are susceptible to axis alignment errors and transducer movement. The use of a three-dimensional work-station makes acquisition cumbersome. An internally rotating 5-MHz "omniplane" transthoracic transducer, specifically designed for three-dimensional echocardiography, and an integrated three-dimensional acquisition software package that allows single machine acquisitions were validated in 50 pediatric patients. Children were 1 day to 16 years old and had 22 different cardiac pathological conditions imaged. Ninety-eight of the 104 (94%) data sets collected were successfully reconstructed in three dimensions. Acquisitions took 3-6 minutes depending on the increment of internal rotation. Minimum total study time to set up and complete the acquisition was 12 minutes. The new probe and software makes three-dimensional acquisitions and reconstructions of consistently high quality, rapid, reliable, and user friendly.