Accuracy of spectral Doppler flow and tissue velocity measurements in ultrasound systems

Blood and tissue velocity are measured and analysed in cardiac, vascular and other applications of diagnostic ultrasound (US). An error in system calibration is a potential risk for misinterpretation of the measurements. To determine the accuracy in velocity calibration, we tested three common commercial US systems using a Doppler string phantom. We tested pulsed and continuous-wave Doppler modes for velocities relevant to both cardiac blood flow and tissue-velocity estimation. The US systems were tested with settings and transducers commonly used in cardiac applications. One system consistently overestimated velocity by about 5%, whereas the other two systems were quite accurate in velocity estimation. These findings emphasize the importance of continuous quality control of US equipment. (E-mail: andrew.walker@ltvastmanland.se)