An established setting for a MCE stress test with the Philips IE 33 platform (german software version) With the default setting “adult echo” the X5-1 probe is activated with a mechanical index of 1.1 With the button “Perfusion” in the fourth row MCE settings are activated. Mechanical index MI is depicted on the top…
papillary muscle artifact
The papillary muscle may lead to a reduction of the penetrating ultrasound energy by reflection, scattering and absorption. Distal to the papillary muscle contrast medium may not be stiumulated to emit harmonic frequencies, resulting in a “shadow”. This can complicate the determination of ejection fraction and left ventricular volumes. This situation can only be avoided…
blooming
Blooming describes a phenomenon, that ultrasound signals due to high concentration of contrast medium outshine adjacent weaker signals, similar to an over-exposure in photography. Blooming can hamper the assessment of a ventricular thrombus or the detection of a perfusion signal from the endocardium during a stress test. It also means that vessels in the myocardium…
attenuation, shadowing
Ultrasonic contrast agents consists of bubbles, which absorb acustic energy, when they beginn to oscillate. Acustic energy is reduced, the higher the concentration of the contrast medium and the greater the distance to the transducer. High concentrations of contrast agent not only lead to a blooming – effect, but also to a strong decrease of…
swirling
Optimal images can be obtained only in rare cases with the default settings of an ultrasound device. In conventional echocardiography an improvement can be achieved in imaging quality eg by adjusting the frequency of the transducer. The key to informative images in contrast sonography is the mechanical index, abbreviated MI, which is displayed on the…
contrast settings for the Vivid E9 platform, part II
The next example shows echogenic thrombi in a 4-chamber view (video on the left side) from a patient with a highly reduced systolic function (ejection fraction below 25%). The thrombi can be displayed with a full volume data set. By enhancement of tissue transparence only the echogenic thrombi are depicted and the surrounding tissue back…
GE Vivid 7
We use the latest software version FD 200255-01 together with the M4S probe and a high resolution flatscreen. Other settings may be better with older software versions. Settings for left ventricular opacification (LVO): frequency 1.6/3.4 MHz In the right corner of the screen – just below the value of the frequency – there are displayed…
contrast settings for the Vivid E9 platform
With the software version (GA 200956-06) from 2011 contrast imaging is at least as good as with the Vivid 7 platform. After choosing “LV-contrast” and the M5S-probe several frequencies are available. In the right upper corner of the screen the choosen frequency is display. In the next row five values are shown: first the gain,…
