Initial experience with a multiplane transoesophageal echo-transducer: assessment of diagnostic potential

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Abstract
Background: the prototype of a transoesophageal echocardiographic transducer with a rotatable cross-sectional scanning plane underwent initial clinical evaluation. Methods: the 5 MHz, phased array, 64 element transducer is incorporated into a 16 by 11 by 40 mm echoscope tip. The instrument also has pulsed wave and colour flow Doppler capabilities. Exterior controls allow continuous mechanical rotation of the scanning plane from 0°, corresponding to the conventional transverse plane, through 180°, thereby encompassing all possible planes. Results: 103 patients underwent examination without complications; two additional patients were excluded because of difficulty in swallowing the probe. Advantages include precise alignment of aortic valve long- and short-axis views, long-axis views of the ascending aorta (mean visualized length: 6 cm), and full scanning of the entire circumference of the mitral valve and the left ventricle. Separation ofparavalvular and transvalvular leakage in prosthetic valves is distinctly improved. Conclusion: multiplanar transoesophageal imaging is feasible and increases the diagnostic yield, especially in mitral and aortic pathology and in the assessment of left ventricular wall motion. Three-dimensional reconstruction is an attractive potential application.

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