New universal strain software accurately assesses cardiac systolic and diastolic function using speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: We have developed new universal strain software (USS) that can be used to perform speckle tracking of any Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) image, regardless of the ultrasound system used to obtain it.

Methods: Fifty patients prospectively underwent echocardiography immediately prior to cardiac catheterization. Biplane peak global longitudinal strain (GLS), peak systolic longitudinal strain rate (SSR), peak early diastolic longitudinal strain rate (DSR), and peak early diastolic circumferential strain rate (DCSR) were determined using conventional strain software (CSS) that uses raw data, and using the new USS applied to DICOM images.