Ultrasound heart treatment

Approximately every 30 seconds someone in the Western world suffers from sudden cardiac death or cardiac failure. A number of emerging treatments offer hope in combating these events. For example, ablation therapy destroys the tissue in the heart that causes abnormal electrical conduction patterns, while pacemakers can improve cardiac function in infarcted areas.

It is imperative to bridge the gap between clinical needs and currently available technology for evaluating cardiac function. The aim of the EU-funded USART (Ultrasound guided cardiac arrythmia treatment) project is to develop competence in Europe within this area and generate new products that will directly benefit patients.

Ultrasound can provide good frame rates allowing cardiologists to study the rapid contraction of the heart as well as how heart valves move. To study abnormalities in the heart, USART researchers will develop ultra-fast imaging techniques, and methods that can reliably reproduce these events in 3D. In this context, they are examining the transmission of multiple ultrasound beams. With image segmentation tools, they have managed to successfully reconstruct the left atrium and visualise its function.

Furthermore, USART will introduce real-time ultrasound guidance to monitor the treatment effect of ablation therapy in infarcted areas. Partners are hopeful that they can improve on the current 70 % success rate of ablation as well as monitor the temperature during thermal ablation. A new image registration tool that uses optic flow techniques will help guide the probe during intra-operative procedures.

Collectively, the USART ultrasound-based methods will significantly improve the treatment of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Ultrasound has the potential to replace x-ray in imaging and facilitate novel image guided cardiac interventions.