Initial test of home-made transducer of multi-element intracardiac echocardiography

Objective: To investigate the performance of the home-made multi-element intracardiac echocardiography imaging transducer, and to preliminarily test the multi functional intracardiac echocardiography system. Methods: Ultrasound phantom was employed to detect its resolution and cardiac structure was observed in vitro and in vivo. Capability to assess wall motion was investigated on acute myocardial infarction in canines (n=6). Results: This intracardiac echocardiography imaging transducer had 32 array with side-fire arrangement in which the diameter was 8F after catheterization. The longitude and lateral resolution was both 1.0 mm. Clear cardiac structure was observed in vitro and in vivo. After LAD ligation, wall thickness on the left anterior wall in end systolic stage decreased from (1.03±0.29) cm to (0.51 ± 0.22) cm. Similarly thickening fraction changed from (56.31±10.18)% to (9.23±1.52)% and max motion amplitude reduced from (0.58±0.08 cm to (0.13±0.03) cm (all P<0.01). Conclusion: This multielement intracardiac echocardiography imaging transducer meets the interventional grade in size, and its imaging performance comes up to the requirements of primary design.