Color Doppler

Color Doppler is a method for noninvasively imaging blood flow through the heart by displaying flow data on a two-dimensional echocardiographic image. The colors red and blue represent direction of a given jet. The various hues from dull to bright represent differing velocities. When turbulence is present, a mosaic of many colors results. A two-dimensional display of flow is, therefore, produced with ready identification of size, direction, and velocity. It is commonly used for assessing whether regurgitation is present or not, as well as grading the regurgitation. It can also guide the user in where to place the cursor when using continuous and pulsed Doppler.