Right ventricular strain imaging using 3D SPAMM combined with optical flow tracking

Background Presently there is no method of evaluating right ventricle function that simultaneously accounts for its complex geometry and motion. RV strain imaging is promising for evaluating regional dysfunction but to date it has not been possible to assess all 3 dimensions in a single acquisition. A novel variant of SPAMM tagging combined with optical flow tracking is available at our institution that can evaluate strain and torsion simultaneously in all 3 dimensions. We have applied this method to the right ventricle.