3D Ultrasound for Pediatric Cardiology

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Vision Quest Biomedical and the University of New Mexico (UNM) Health Science Center have assembled a team of inter-disciplinary scientists with experience in congenital heart disease diagnosis, ultrasoundimage analysis, and 3D ultrasound reconstruction. This team will develop and test a system to provide 3D multi-view reconstruction for improved 3D image quality and quantitative cardiac function analysis of children hearts using a regular 2D probe. The advantage of this approach is the ability to obtain a full 3D appreciation of cardiac structures and relationships using readily available 2D US systems. Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common type of birth defect and present in about 8 of every 1,000 babies born in the United States. CHD is responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defect. Our 3D reconstruction technology will give the non- cardiologist physician a tool for early screening and detection of CHD, using more readily available 2D US imaging technology. There are three specific aims to be accomplished in Phase I. The first aim is to improve and validate the automatic algorithm for multi-view 3D reconstruction from2D freehand echocardiography sequences. The second aim is to collect 2D echocardiography sequences, from 10 subjects and assess performance of registration algorithm for reconstructed 3D volumes. The third aim is to reconstruct the left ventricle for quantitative analysis of cardiac function. The final product is a software plug-in that can be used to render accurate 3D volumes using commercially available 2D ultrasound machines. Our commercialization strategy is to integrate the 3D reconstruction software into an existing commercial ultrasound in Phase II. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common type of birth defect and present in about 8 of every 1,000 babies born in the United States. CHDis responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defect. In this project, we will develop a 3D multi-view reconstruction system to provide improved 3D image quality and quantitative cardiac function analysis of children heartsusing a regular 2D probe.