Doppler color flow in echocardiography: analytical and in-vitro investigations of the quantitative relationship between orifice flow and color jet dimensions.
The goal of this investigation was to explore the relationship between orifice flow rate and the dimensions of the resulting color jet. Equations were derived which describe flow rate as a function of the color jet dimensions, instrument characteristics, and a coefficient which represents the unknown velocity profile across the jet. Experiments in which fluid was injected at a variety of flow rates via an assortment of orifice sizes into a compliant, axisymmetric chamber were performed for comparison with the analytical results. During each injection, orifice flow rate and color jet dimensions were recorded. The experimental results were closely predicted (r = 0.97) by an equation which expresses flow rate as a function of the ratio of the color jet area and color jet length, and with a coefficient which approximates that of a parabolic velocity profile.