M-mode

M-mode, or motion mode, is used clinically for the assessment of valve motion, chamber sizes, aortic root size, wall thickness, and ventricular function. M-mode pulses a narrow ultrasound beam in a single plane through the heart, producing images of the tissue in that plane with a high temporal and spatial resolution. This image shows the M-mode measuring the systolic function of the right ventricle by placing the cursor parallel to the right ventricular free wall.

Figure 1 - Example of an image obtained using the M-mode