Non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular mechanics using a new, user-friendly software application.

Currently, in most non-invasive imaging laboratories, echocardiographic tracings are interpreted by "eyeballing" M-mode and 2-dimensional echocardiographic recordings. This subjective method of data analysis severely hampers the possibility of serial assessment of physiological interventions on cardiovascular disease states. Moreover, acquisition of important cardiovascular physiological data usually requires recordings of instantaneous aortic pressure and flow data that, until recently, could only be acquired invasively in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Recently, our laboratory has developed and validated new "non-invasive" methods for the acquisition of aortic pressure and flow using calibrated subclavian pulse tracings and continuous wave aortic Doppler, respectively. With these limitations and new developments in mind, we developed new software that enables simultaneous non-invasive acquisition of left ventricular (LV) chamber geometry and aortic pressure and flow data. This new, user-friendly software in conjunction with other non-invasive tools allows non-invasive quantification of multiple cardiovascular physiological parameters. More importantly, the new software enables objective and serial assessment of multiple pharmacological interventions on various patients' disease states.