Figure 4

Measurements of vortex ring parameters.

(a) Volume-time curves of one control and one patient. Vortex ring development was initially similar between patients and controls. In the patient, however, the vortex ring continued to grow independently of LV volume, leading to additional entrainment of ventricular blood. (b) Distance between vortex ring surface (LCS) and endocardium of the left ventricle (mean ± SD). In controls, the vortex ring boundary was in close proximity to the endocardium after the initial growth phase. The dilated ventricle displayed continuous evolution of the vortex ring throughout diastole. (c) Vortex ring volume at end-diastole was linearly correlated to LV end-diastolic volume in controls and filled on average 53% of the ventricle. This implies that LV chamber size and motion are tuned to accommodate the vortex ring in healthy hearts regardless of total heart size. Conversely, patients demonstrate a loss of optimized vortex-wall interaction. (d) The ratio between peak vortex ring diameter and inlet orifice diameter in controls and patients was lower in controls, a consequence of the elongated shape of the vortex ring at rest. The ratios in patients were more scattered, consistent with lower remaining filling reserve.