Echocardiographic functional images based on tissue velocity information

Tissue velocity information (TVI) is acquired by sampling of tissue Doppler velocity values at discrete points. The information is stored in an interf oiled format with gray scale imaging during one or several cardiac cycle at a high temporal resolution, > 60 Hz, giving signals that tolerate mathemat ical processing as derivation, integration and Fourier analysis of velocity profiles without distortions. The software enables the possibility to anal yze multiple velocity profiles from any localization within the acquired sc anned sector. The myocardial tissue velocity direction and color-coded nume rical value can be computed along any chosen curve form (C-line) and be pre sented as a spatial function of velocties against time (C-mode). The veloci ty curves can also be presented in several new functional modes as color-co ded running cineloops: phase imaging, time delay imaging, amplitude imaging , acceleration imaging, instantaneous phase imaging, wrapped phase imaging. The software also allows color or C-mode presentation of tissue contraction and expansion. This facilitates the differentiation between active and pas sive myocardial tissue movements, thus improving the ability to differentia te between healthy and diseased myocardial tissue. This article presents se veral applications of the software in normals and in cardiac patients.