Multigate Quality Doppler Profiles Technology in Vascular, Obstetrics and Cardiology Applications

Multigate Quality Doppler Profiles (QDP) is a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) - based Doppler technology recently integrated within a commercial ultrasound scanner. QDP represents a novel analysis tool, which is able to simultaneously detect and show the velocity components, present in the blood flow of multiple vessels, without any frame rate reduction. QDP can be used in conjunction with the DIR algorithm to enhance the visibility of the flow direction information. The present work describes the use of QDP in Cardiology (Pediatric and Adult), Vascular (cervical venous and arterial system) and Obstetrics (uterine arteries). In vivo and in vitro tests are reported, showing the QDP behavior with respect to insonation angle changes and its advantages with respect to classic Doppler technologies. The QDP is demonstrated to be a precise positioning tool for the Pulsed Wave Doppler (PW) sample volume (SV) and a qualitative direct real time indicator of blood flow variations. It is also shown ideal for the study of turbulent flow, for minor reflux detection and for easier sampling of the blood flow signal within the examined vessel (or vessels) in case of movements.