Simultaneous segmentation of all four chambers in cardiac ultrasound images

Echocardiographic analysis of cardiac chamber volumes throughout the heart cycle is important to assess left- and right-heart function. We have developed and validated a method to simultaneously segment all four heart chambers in 3D echocardiography cine loops. We described the heart using several Doo Sabin models, one for each chamber and one for the pericardium. The model was fitted to 3D echo images using edge detection and a Kalman filter. The average signed error in estimating volume across all chambers was -1.0 +/- +/- 12.3 ml. These results show that the model slightly underestimates the volumes. Average signed error for the ejection fraction was -3.2 +/- 7.4 pts, with the highest error being the right atrium. This all-chamber automatic segmentation method provides high accuracy and may have utility in understanding chamber interactions.