Three-dimensional regional left ventricular deformation from digital sonomicrometry

Understanding how the left ventricle deforms in 3D and how this deformation is altered with coronary occlusion may lead to the development of non-invasive imaging techniques to determine the extent of permanent injury. To determine regional 3D strains in the left ventricle of the heart the authors employed digital sonomicrometry, with high temporal and spatial resolution. Two cubic arrays of 8 omnidirectional transceiver crystals were implanted in two regions of the left ventricle in an open chest canine preparation (n=6). Additional crystals were used to define a fixed external reference space and the long axis of the ventricle. Using ultrasound transit time the distances between all the crystals were recorded. A multidimensional scaling technique was then applied to transform the distances to 3D crystal coordinates. A least squares fit of the displacement field was applied to calculate homogeneous strains for each cube. Cardiac specific directions were determined and strains rotated into the local coordinate space. This technique was applied pre- and post- coronary occlusion. Alterations in strain patterns were evident in the ischemic region and subtle temporal changes in the control region. Thus, digital sonomicrometry, with high temporal and spatial resolution, enhances one's ability to analyze regional left ventricular 3D strain patterns.