Present real-time echocardiographic visualisation methods and their clinical application have been reviewed. Ultrasonic instruments for visualising the heart were considered to have a number of limitations. Experimental and theoretical considerations of ultrasonic access and interaction with the heart and its surroundings have led to the design and development of a mechanical sector scanner. Rotating transducers within an oil filled cavity facilitates acoustic contact and vibration-free operation. The small dimensions and the 900 field of view optimise visualisation of the heart avoiding bone and lung, provide a point of entry aspect allowing flexible scanning action and permit the application of two scanners simultaneously at adjacent intercostal spaces. These aspects also allow subxiphoid application of the scanner to visualise the heart and conventional T-M echograms to be obtained. A real-time heart scanning system with grey scale display and recording facilities has been developed. This system is versatile allowing two scanners to be driven in several operating modes. The scanner has been evaluated on a representative group of patients suffering from cardio-respiratory disease. Visualisation of cardiac structures and their function has been successful. The possible visualisation extensions and improvements through the use of two scanners simultaneously has been investigated. Real-time compounding and biplane visualisation can be achieved. The brief clinical use of this scanner in pediatrics has indicated the potential applicability of this design philosophy in the diagnosis of congenital heart defects.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:641817 |
| Date | January 1979 |
| Creators | Bow, Charles R. |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/17252 |
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