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Color Flow Imaging Basics: Blood Flow Direction Applied

Most imaging departments set the display so that blood flow moving toward the transducer is in red, orange, and yellow. The flow moving away from the transducer has the color assignment of dark, medium, and light blue.

This apical four-chamber image, frozen in diastole, shows mitral inflow as reds and oranges because blood flow is moving toward the transducer. This apical five-chamber image, frozen in systole, shows blood flow in the LVOT as primarily blue because it is moving away from the transducer.

Note: Always check the color bar on your screen for the active toward/away color orientation. Many Color Flow Imaging systems let you change the toward/away color orientation.