Strain Rate Distribution in Layered Myocardium Measured Using Local Velocity Estimator with Multifrequency Phase Differences.

Measurement of the myocardial strain rate (SR), with high spatial resolution, is useful in evaluation of the transmurality of myocardial infarction. As the SR distribution is calculated using velocities observed at multiple positions in the heart wall, it is necessary to estimate the local velocity to measure SR distribution. In the present study, our previously proposed local velocity estimator, with multifrequency phase differences, was used to measure SR distribution in the heart wall. The SR distribution measured with the proposed local velocity estimator revealed alternate layers of contraction and relaxation, which were not measured with the conventional velocity estimator with spatial averaging. The reproducibility of the SR distributions was confirmed in three consecutive heartbeats with three subjects. High-spatial-resolution SR measurement with the proposed local velocity estimator will allow myocardial layer-specific analysis in the transmural direction.