Development of Biplane Transespohageal Dopper Echocardiography as a New Cardiovascular Diagnostic Method

彩色多普勒经食管超声心动图（TEE）是心脏病学和心脏外科领域不可缺少的重要成像方法。然而，在现有技术中，TEE技术中存在主要限制：利用单换能器TEE探头只能获得横向视图。1989年（第一年），为了进一步改进TEE技术，我们新开发了双平面探头并进行了临床试验。据我们所知，我们是第一个在临床上使用新的双平面探头。双平面探头直径为13.5 mm，横向和纵向探头并排安装在同一经食管轴上。可以获得横向或纵向扫描，并且可以与ECG同步地并排屏幕再现双平面图像。在260例成人心血管手术患者中成功使用了该探头。双平面经食管超声心动图的特异性诊断价值 ...更多信息 1990年（第二年）共应用双平面探头450例，无并发症发生。双平面TEE有助于对心血管结构和血流的三维理解，并通过纵向扫描提供新的食管声学窗口。然而，双平面探头有两个主要的局限性：（1）两个正交的换能器是分开的;（2）双平面成像不是真实的时间，而是再现的。矩阵换能器由两个垂直的相控阵组成，用于横向和纵向扫描。在我们32例患者的临床经验中，实时矩阵双平面成像系统显示出优于标准双平面技术的各种优势。此外，我们还成功地设计了一个小儿矩阵探头。这些新设备表明了未来TEE技术的新趋势。双平面经食管超声心动图已被确立为有价值的诊断方法之一，并将成为心脏病学、心血管外科和麻醉学领域的标准临床检查。少

Color Doppler transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an imaging method of indispensable importance in the fields of cardiology and cardiac surgery. However, in the present state of the art there is a major limitation in TEE technology : only a transverse view can be obtained with the single-transducer TEE probe. In 1989 (the first year), in order to further improve the TEE technique we newly developed and tested clinically a biplane probe. To the best of our knowledge we are the first where a new biplane probe was used clinically. The biplane probe is 13.5 mm in diameter, and transverse and longitudinal transducers are mounted side by side on the same transesophageal shaft. Either transverse or longitudinal scan can be obtained and biplane images can be reproduced side by side screen simultaneously synchronizing to ECG. The probe was successfully used both intra-and postoperatively in 260 adult cardiovascular surgical patients. The specific diagnostic value of the biplane TEE was ob … More tained firstly in mitral regurgitation and aortic dissection.In 1990 (the 2nd year), the biplane probe was used totally in 450 patients without any complication. Biplane TEE facilitated a three-dimensional understanding of cardiovascular structure and blood flow and provided new acoustic windows on the esophagus through longitudinal scanning. However, there were two major limitations in the biplane probe : (1) the two orthogonal transducers were separated and (2) biplane imaging was not real time but reproduced.In 1991 (the 3rd year), to resolve these problems, we developed a new system that combines the use of matrix biplane transducer and real-time biplane imaging software. The matrix transducer is composed of two perpendicular phased arrays for transverse and longitudinal scans. In our clinical experience in 32 patients, the real-time matrix biplane imaging system has shown various advantages over the standard biplane technique. Additionally, we designed also successfully a pediatric matrix probe. These new devices suggest a new trend in TEE technology of the future. The biplane TEE has been established as one of valuable diagnostic methods and will be a standard clinical examination in the fields of cardiolog, cardiovascular surgery, and anesthesiology. Less