HeartAssist™: The Automatic Classification and Measurement Tool for Fetal Heart Assessment

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common severe congenital abnormality, with an incidence of 8 to 9 per 1,000 live births. CHD is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Accurate prenatal detection of CHD allows for improved neonatal outcome and better pregnancy counseling. Fetal echocardiography is the most crucial method of diagnosing CHD in the second-trimester of pregnancy. Fetal echocardiography should be performed on women with recognized increased risks for fetal cardiac anomalies. One of the most crucial steps in the diagnosis of CHD is the accurate acquisition of fetal ultrasound standard planes. This assessment involves a sequential segmental analysis of four primary areas including the situs, atria, ventricles and great arteries and their connections. From these four areas, the examiner should evaluate ten fundamental scanning planes and Doppler findings for diagnostic information about the fetal heart.