Figure 2

Particle tracing and Volume Tracking visualizations of LV filling. Particle tracing (A-C) and Volume Tracking (D-F) visualizations of LV filling in volunteer 7. See Additional File 3: VT-Comparison.mpg for an animated version. In each image, an anatomical 4-chamber Cine image is shown for orientation. The 4-chamber image is transparent to show flow behind the plane. Time is counted from the start of ventricular systole. Panels A-C show the particle tracing visualization. Particles are released every 20 milliseconds at the level of the white dotted line (MV). In panel A, at the start of diastole, particles can be seen at their starting position just above the dotted white line. In panel B, during the early phase of the filling, the particle traces flow from the atrium into the ventricle. In panel C, during diastasis, the particles have decelerated and dispersed in the ventricle. Panels D-F show the Volume Tracking visualization corresponding to panels A-C. Panel D shows a plane at the level of the mitral valve just before ventricular diastole. In panel E, Volume Tracking shows the volume of blood flowing into the ventricle. In panel F, the blood has flowed further into the ventricle. Panels E and F show how the Volume Tracking plane is deformed as if it were an in finitely stretchable, flexible sheet, i.e. the Volume Tracking visualization shows the boundary between blood flowing into the ventricle and blood already in the ventricle. Panel F clearly shows an absence of filling blood in an area near the basal parts of the septum (white arrow), something which is not easily seen in the corresponding particle trace image (panel C). LV = left ventricle, RV = right ventricle, LA = left atrium, RA = right atrium, MV = mitral valve, dotted line = approximate location of mitral valve, color = velocity from 0 (blue) to 1 m/s (red).