Automated ventricular volume calculations from single plane images.

A computer-oriented system for the repetitive measurement of left ventricular volume is described. The system hardware can convert data on any television video record in real-time into digital format via a flexible television computer interface. The analysis techniques do not require frame-by-frame boundary recognition, a characteristic of most computer-assisted systems. Videodensitometry and area-length techniques are compared, including sensitivity to variations in patient position. Comparisons are also made on postmortem hearts infused with known volumes of contrast solution. Videodensitometry is the more accurate single-plane technique.