A cardiologist at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust has developed a revolutionary technique for ‘slicing’ 3D images of the heart into infinite sections using computer software.
Multiplane review (MPR) 3D echocardiography lets the user see movement in three dimensions of the heart at once, enabling them to identify heart defects more accurately than with traditional scans.
It is thought that MPR technology could replace the need for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in most areas of cardiac imaging.
Consultant cardiologist Dr Joseph Vettukattil developed the technique at Southampton General Hospital to identify congenital heart abnormalities.
“The most important aspect is the operator’s ability to slice the dynamic cardiac structures in infinite sections through all the three dimensions,” Dr Vettukattil said. “By using MPR, because you are slicing and seeing it in three different planes, you can get a clear understanding of a patient – especially in a child whose heart is congenitally malformed.”
MPR could replace the need for invasive cardiac catheterisation to complement 2D scans in the diagnosis of congenital heart defects. “We are able to visualise even more than a surgeon can during an operation, minimising the need for additional and invasive assessments,” Dr Vettukattil added.
The technique enables cardiologists and cardiac surgeons around the world to capture 3D data of patients and upload them to a dedicated website, or e-mail them for assessment.
Dr Vettukattil hopes to establish an MPR imaging and training centre in Southampton that will lead the world in advanced 3D echocardiography.
Dr Joseph Ventukattil