The echocardiogram
is the most common application of echography
imaging and the Doppler velocity measurement (see Doppler principle). It allows assessment of cardiac valve function,
left-right shunt (e.g. open foramen ovale), leaking of blood through the valves
(valvular regurgitation), and calculation of the cardiac output.
The echo-image is
depicted in black and white, and the direction and velocity of the blood are
depicted in red for approching the probe and blue for removing away. The more
blue or red the higher the velocity. See Echography
and Contrast enhanced ultrasound for further
explanation and examples of images in figures.
Application
Contrast echocardiography (CE, e.g. for detection of the right heart
Doppler signals, intra-cardiac shunts). uses intravenously administered
micro-bubbles to traverse the myocardial microcirculation in order to outline
myocardial viability and perfusion, see Contrast enhanced ultrasound.