Speckle Tracking Ultrasound Is Independent of Insonation Angle and Gain: An In Vitro Investigation of Agreement with Sonomicrometry
published online 10 June 2009.
Objective
It has been shown that speckle tracking ultrasound (STU) is capable of measuring peak strain accurately in vitro over a range of compression rates and amplitudes. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different angles of insonation with a range of scanner settings.
Methods
A tissue-mimicking phantom was cyclically deformed to imitate the beating heart. With different combinations of scanner settings, strain was measured by STU using sonomicrometry as reference.
Results
Over a majority of parameter combinations, speckle tracking measured strain accurately. However, a combination of large echocardiographic image displacements, low frame rates, and small sector depths resulted in increased difference between STU and sonomicrometry. The angle of insonation and gain setting did not affect STU.
Conclusion
Despite the limitations exhibited by image displacement, frame rate, and sector depth, STU remains a promising technique for angle-independent assessment of strain.
Reprint requests: Kim Sivesgaard, MS, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgaardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
Kim Sivesgaard was supported by FONDEN AF 17-12-1981. Sara Dahl Christensen was supported by the Danish Medical Research Council Grant 271-07-0026. The ultrasound system and analysis software were acquired with support from The John and Birthe Meyer Foundation.
ABSTRACT