Developing a new tool for better heart imaging
Official title: Reading workstation for clinical contrast echocardiography
Funded at Narnar, LLC · NIH-10690704 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on making it easier for doctors to spot a heart condition called coronary microvascular dysfunction, which can cause chest pain even when your heart arteries look normal, by developing a simple software tool to help interpret heart imaging results.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Narnar, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lake Oswego, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $952,016 |
| NIH project number | 5R44HL152939-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10690704 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals experiencing unexplained chest pain, particularly women, and those diagnosed with heart failure or MINOCA.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with established coronary artery disease or those not experiencing chest pain may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on improving the detection of coronary microvascular dysfunction (MVD), a condition that can cause chest pain despite normal coronary arteries. It aims to enhance myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE), a non-invasive imaging technique that uses ultrasound contrast agents to visualize blood flow in the heart's microcirculation. By creating a user-friendly software tool for interpreting MCE results, the research seeks to make this diagnostic method more accessible and reliable for clinicians. This could lead to faster and more accurate diagnoses for patients suffering from conditions like heart failure and MINOCA.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction, potentially reducing chest pain and improving heart health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that myocardial contrast echocardiography can effectively assess microvascular function, indicating that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Narnar, LLC
Lake Oswego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sklenar, Jiri — Narnar, LLC
- Study coordinator: Sklenar, Jiri
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Four-Chamber Echo Insights to Improve Cardiac Diagnosis
A new AI-based approach uses routine echocardiograms to map the heart’s four chambers and flow patterns, helping doctors diagnose acute heart conditions more accurately.
-
AI-powered automatic echocardiography reporting for better heart care
A Mayo Clinic team is developing an AI-enabled system to automatically interpret echocardiograms and generate reports for patients with heart problems.
-
AI-powered echocardiography to spot common heart defects in newborns
A new AI tool analyzes infant heart ultrasound images to help non-specialist health workers identify five common, treatable heart defects early.
-
AI help for newborn heart ultrasound images in Sub‑Saharan Africa
This project uses AI to help health workers capture better heart ultrasound images so newborns in Sub‑Saharan Africa can get quicker, more accurate diagnosis of congenital heart defects.
-
AI-powered echocardiography reporting with visual-linguistic models
A Mayo Clinic physician aims to train and grow an AI-enabled system that helps automatically interpret echocardiograms and generate reports for patients with heart problems.
-
New approaches to making transesophageal echocardiography safer and easier for patients
A novel NIH-funded project aims to improve how transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is done, reducing sedation risks and expanding access for adults who need heart imaging.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.