cardiac cycle length
The time interval between consecutive heartbeats, typically measured in milliseconds and used for cardiac imaging timing.
Full Definition
Cardiac cycle length refers to the duration of one complete heartbeat cycle, measured from the beginning of one R-wave to the beginning of the next R-wave on ECG. This parameter is crucial for cardiac imaging as it determines the timing of image acquisition relative to cardiac phases. In cardiac MRI and CT, knowledge of cycle length allows for proper temporal resolution planning and retrospective or prospective gating. Shorter cycle lengths (faster heart rates) may require higher temporal resolution to adequately capture cardiac motion, while longer cycles allow for more detailed imaging phases.
Usage
Usage note: Express in milliseconds and relate to heart rate when relevant.
In Context
- "The cardiac cycle length averaged 850 ms during the MRI acquisition." — MRI technical parameters
- "Variable cardiac cycle length resulted in gating artifacts on the cine images." — Image quality assessment