Aberration correction—impact on image quality and chamber quantification in transthoracic echocardiography

Figures

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  Figure 1. Aberration correction in echocardiography. The figure displays an apical 4-chamber view image from the same recording with conventional processing (A) and with AC (B). In this example, AC improved the definition of the endocardial border, perhaps most pronounced in the left atrium. Moreover, anatomical details of the mitral valve and the subvalvular apparatus appear sharper with less lateral ‘smearing’.

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  Figure 2. Image quality score and GIC. Image quality-score was rated subjectively from 1 to 4 (4 best) from each cine-loop by two observers. The examples above shows end-diastolic images from LV-focused apical 4-chamber view where both observers agreed on the IQ-score. GIC is an objective measure on the global coherence in the ultrasound image. A low GIC-value is associated with high degree of aberration. The reported GIC is the average value from the complete recording in each view.

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  Figure 3. Boxplot of IQ score in relation to GIC. All data from both conventional processing and AC are included in the figure. There is a positive correlation between two-rater average IQ-score and GIC, Spearman rho 0.72, P < 0.001. The number of images (N) and median (25%–75%) GIC for each IQ-score category are presented in the top left corner.

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  Figure 4. Individual global IQ score and GIC for all 50 patients. Note that Δ global IQ-score and Δ global GIC >0 both indicate improved IQ with AC compared with conventional image processing (NoAC).

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  Figure 5. Effect of AC. These examples are all from the same case, displaying images/videos (speed 50%) from six views with both conventional processing (NoAC) and AC. The corresponding changes in IQ score and GIC are shown on the left side. ΔIQ-score >0, ΔGIC >0 and GIC-ratio >1 indicates improved IQ from AC. In these examples, AC improves the contrast and visualization of the endocardial border and the mitral valve apparatus with less lateral ‘smearing’. Videos 1 and 6 are examples of recordings of incomplete cardiac cycles. LA, left atrium; LV: left ventricle.