Fast Rotating
With this Motorized TEE probe 4D imaging of th heart is possible.
The principal behind making 4D images with a standard TEE probe is described below
- Continuously acquire image data at a high frame rate over typically 5-10 seconds
- Record the rotation angle and cardiac ECG signal.
- Divide the heart cycle into a number of phases (typically 12-30), and the instantaneous phase is calculated based on the relative time between two R-peaks.
Since we know for every single image beam the exact elevation angle, rotation angle and cardiac phase, we can regroup all beams by their cardiac phase and construct a 3D image for each of these cardiac phases from its set of beams. So, all cardiac cycles within the acquisition period are merged into one 'composed' cycle of 3D images.
Segmented 3D image of the heart
The following link shows a more detailed description behind this technique