The overall prenatal detection rate for congenital heart disease via ultrasound still remains poor, and is due to various factors, including a high level of expertise and skill required to evaluate the fetal heart. To address this, the Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) of NICHD / NIH has successfully invented a novel sonographic method (known as Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography, or FINE) to automatically generate and display nine standard fetal cardiac views required to diagnose most cardiac defects. FINE considerably simplifies examination of the fetal heart and reduces operator dependency. It has been integrated into several commercially available ultrasound systems as 5D Heart. On this channel, we are pleased to present the FINE Lecture Series, a free educational program on the FINE method, its features, and practical implementation in the clinical setting. We sincerely hope that this will be helpful for you and the pregnant women in your care. © Lami Yeo MD, 2020.
Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
#FINELearning: Did you know that STIC (spatiotemporal image correlation) volume acquisition can be incorporated into the daily practice of ultrasound centers? In the first study by Professor Giuseppe Rizzo and colleagues (see second image), STIC volumes were acquired successfully in 94.8% (474/500) of pregnancies by centers performing routine obstetric sonography. Importantly, sonographers had no specific experience with fetal echocardiography, and attended only a one-day training program on how to obtain STIC volumes of the fetal heart. In the second study by Professor Uittenbogaard and colleagues (see third image), they reported that incorporating STIC volume acquisition into the daily practice of a fetal echocardiography program is feasible. Moreover, sonographers do not have to be specifically experienced in 3- or 4-dimensional ultrasound imaging to acquire high-quality STIC volumes. STIC volume acquisition was successful in 75.7% (112/148) of cases in which it was attempted.
You can learn more about how to acquire cardiac volumes for sonographic examination of the fetal heart in our 2 freely available papers: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27091914/ AND pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27091912/
You can also watch Videos 4, 5, and 6 (on STIC volumes) from our YouTube Series.
#STIC #spatiotemporalimagecorrelation #fetalcardiacvolumes #FetalheartEducation #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #5dheart
23 hours ago | [YT] | 7
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
Test your knowledge with #FINEQuiz: All of the following congenital heart defects may present with a normal fetal four-chamber view EXCEPT for which one?
#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #congenitalheartdisease #conotruncal #5dheart #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography
1 week ago | [YT] | 6
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
#FINEhistoricalfacts: We celebrate the life and career of Dr. William J. Rashkind, known as the "Father" of Interventional Cardiology. Born in New Jersey, he received his medical degree from the University of Louisville, Kentucky. After graduation, he studied cardiovascular physiology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Eventually, he founded CHOP's (Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania) Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Dr. Rashkind created the first interventional procedure for congenital heart defects, known as the "Rashkind procedure" (balloon atrial septostomy). This was first published in JAMA in 1966 (see second image). The Figure depicts the special balloon-tipped catheter, with the tip magnified in both deflated and inflated positions. The Rashkind balloon atrial septostomy (see third image) is performed during cardiac catheterization, in which a balloon catheter is positioned in the left atrium, is inflated, and quickly withdrawn into the right atrium to create a tear in the atrial septum. This creates a shunt at the atrial level in addition to the open ductus arteriosus, to provide stable arterial oxygen saturation. Dr. Rashkind will always be remembered as a pioneer who transformed the treatment of congenital heart defects.
#fetalheart #congenitalheartdisease #cardiacdefects #transpositiongreatvessels #Rashkindprocedure #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 8
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
Test your knowledge with #FINEQuiz: In the short axis view of the great vessels, which of the following is NOT visualized?
#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #5dheart #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 4
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
#FINEeducation: Did you know that survival of fetuses with hypoplastic left heart depends on blood flowing from the right ventricle through the ductus arteriosus into the descending aorta? Retrograde flow to the aortic root (blue arrow) is essentially supplied by the pulmonary artery (through the ductus arteriosus). Therefore, the coronary and cerebral circulations are supplied by retrograde flow. Although surgical outcomes of hypoplastic left heart have improved over the years, it is still considered one of the most complex cardiac abnormalities, and requires surgery. To see fetal case examples of hypoplastic left heart (including color Doppler), go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu8ps...
#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #hypoplasticleftheart #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #5dheart
4 weeks ago | [YT] | 7
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
Answer to #FINEimageofday (see video posted last week): Left brachiocephalic vein. The videoclip of the fetal upper mediastinum showed the three-vessels and trachea view. As the scan moves cranially, the left brachiocephalic vein (horizontal vessel) is seen draining into the superior vena cava, and is a normal fetal structure. Here, it is identified by the red arrow. The left brachiocephalic vein is slightly cranial and anterior to the transverse aortic arch, and has been reported to be significantly dilated in the presence of supracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous connection. When color Doppler is applied, the main pulmonary trunk and transverse aortic arch are identified in blue color (away from the transducer), while the left brachiocephalic vein is identified in red color, draining into the superior vena cava (towards the transducer). You can see these images and a more detailed explanation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu8ps...
#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #5dheart
1 month ago | [YT] | 5
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
#FINEimageofday: The fetal upper mediastinum is being imaged. As the scan moves cranially, what is the horizontal structure identified by the arrow, and is this a normal structure? Stay tuned for the answer (provided at next week's post)!
#FetalheartEducation #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #5dheart
1 month ago | [YT] | 6
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
#FINEHolidays: Tomorrow (July 4, 2026, or Independence Day), the United States will commemorate and celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence! It marks the birth of the United States as an independent nation. Specifically, the Declaration of Independence is a foundational document adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, announcing that the 13 American colonies regarded themselves as independent sovereign states, free from British rule. It is typically celebrated with fireworks, barbecues, parades, and family gatherings. This historic milestone (America's Semiquincentennial) is an opportunity for all Americans to reflect on our nations' past, honor the contributions of Americans, and look ahead towards the future. Happy Fourth of July everyone!
#fourthofjuly #independenceday #America250 #declarationofindependence #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #5dheart
1 month ago | [YT] | 5
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
#FINEhistoricalfacts: We celebrate the life and career of Dr. Maude Elizabeth Abbott, who was a cardiac pathologist and medical researcher from Canada. Her pioneering work and seminal contribution (1936 Atlas of Congenital Cardiac Disease) laid the foundation for the study of congenital heart disease. When she applied to McGill Medical School, she was refused because the administration refused to accept a woman, and therefore she attended Bishop's University. There, she received her medical degree in 1894, taking both the Senior Prize in anatomy and the Chancellor's Prize for best examination in the final sessions. In 1898, the Chair of Pathology at McGill University appointed her Assistant Curator of the Medical Museum, where she taught as part of the medical school curriculum. In her career, by linking clinical presentation with pathology, she provided a future framework for pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. Importantly, Dr. Abbott's seminal work on congenital heart disease established her as one of the founders of Pediatric Pathology, and her career has promoted the entry of women physicians into the profession of Pathology.
#fetalheart #congenitalheartdisease #cardiacdefects #pediatricpathology #FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography
1 month ago | [YT] | 6
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Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography PRB
Test your knowledge with #FINEQuiz: In color Doppler imaging of the fetal heart, all of the following statements about pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is true, EXCEPT for which one?
#FetalIntelligentNavigationEchocardiography #5dheart #colorDopplerfetalheart #colorDopplersettings #fetalheart #fetalheartultrasound #fetalecho #fetalechocardiography #fetalultrasonography #fetalultrasound #FetalheartEducation
1 month ago | [YT] | 5
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