USING CARDIAC PHASE TO ORDER RECONSTRUCTION [CAPTOR] - A METHOD TO IMPROVE DIASTOLIC IMAGES

A method Is proposed to reconstruct multiphase images that accurately depicts the: entire cardiac cycle, A segmented, gradient-recalled-echo sequence (FASTCARD) was modified to acquire data continuously, Images were reconstructed retrospectively by selecting views from each heart beat based on cardiac phase rather than the time elapsed from the QRS complex, Cardiac phase was calculated using a model that compensates f or beat-to-beat heart rate changes, Images collected using cardiac pha se to order reconstruction [CAPTOR] depict the entire cardiac cycle an d lack the temporal gap that is characteristic of prospectively recons tructed sequences. Time-volume curves of the left ventricle capture th e contribution of atrial contraction to end-diastolic volume (EDV). Tr ansmitral phase-contrast now measurements shiny a second peak inflow ( a wave) that is absent in the standard sequence, Because atrial contra ction contributes to ventricular EDV, images using CAPTOR potentially may provide a more reliable measure of EDV, stroke volume, and ejectio n fraction than standard techniques.