Ziheng Zhang1,
Donald P. Dione2, Ben A. Lin2, Albert J. Sinusas2,
Smita Sampath1
1Department of
Diagnositc Radiology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,
USA; 2Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale University, School
of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Early diastolic filling is tightly coupled to regional myocardial relaxation patterns. Here, we track the 2D pseudo pathlines of blood emitter particles that are dynamically released from the mitral valve plane during early diastole. Results in normal volunteers demonstrate a distinct pattern of filling that corresponds closely with myocardial relaxation patterns. Further, results in an infarcted animal demonstrate significant abnormality, underlining the sensitivity of this method as an indicator of diastolic filling abnormalities.