The effect of echo contrast agent on Doppler velocity measurements.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of echo contrast agents on spectral Doppler velocity measurements. SH U 508A was administered by IV injection in 15 patients. The transmitral flow velocity was measured at the E- and A-wave peaks before the start and at the peak of the contrast effect.

Harmonic Power Doppler Contrast Echocardiography: Preliminary Clinical Results.

BACKGROUND: In fundamental and second harmonic echocardiography new contrast media opacify the cavities and reduce the difference in the gray level between the cavity and the myocardium thus obscuring the borders of the myocardium. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the potential usefulness of second harmonic power Doppler imaging (HPD) in providing adequate delineation of the myocardium from the left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) cavities during intravenous contrast echocardiography. Using HPD, microbubbles in a cavity or a tissue are imaged as colored pixels superimposed on a conventional B-scan image.

Stimulated Acoustic Emission Nonbackscatter Contrast Effect of Microbubbles Seen with Harmonic Power Doppler Imaging.

Transient imaging has been introduced to enhance the signal intensities when using echo contrast agents. However, this phenomenon is not clearly understood. To evaluate the mechanisms of this phenomenon, isolated pig hearts were investigated with different echo imaging techniques in the beating, working heart as well as in an asystolic state without any motion of the heart.