Quantitative 3D modelling of the left ventrical from ultrasound images [ventrical read ventricle]

There is an established clinical correlation between coronary heart disease and geometric deformation of the left ventricle, the performance of which is commonly used to evaluate cardiac efficiency. Currently, ventricle performance is often estimated from 2D geometric reconstructions of this chamber using a non-invasive imaging modality. A new model is presented which creates a 3D representation of the left ventricle with minimal geometric assumptions using a helical fibre. This model allows clinically recognised quantitative measurements such as volume, ejection fraction, surface area and Fourier analysis to be obtained as well as multi-plane curvature which is not possible using conventional 2D techniques. This technique is implemented within a comprehensive software package, which enables these measures to be extracted from the interactive 3D reconstruction, and thus allows both qualitative and quantitative assessments to be made.