Why Dr James Thomas' Tau Formula is the Biggest Scandal in Echocardiography?

First, it is a scandal. Since the theory is incorrect, the "verification" has to be fabricated, nobody can get "good data" by unintentional mistakes. Several celebrities were schemed to defend it, yet, it is so easy to prove it is wrong. Just calculate Tau in your next patient, it will lead to nowhere. 

Second, it is probably the biggest one. 1997, the formula was "verified clinically" by Dr Pieter Vandervoort. The paper was published in Circulation. By then, the emperor's new clothes was completely ready and the parade was on. The formula was recommended by the ASE guideline and textbooks. but Tau died clinically.

  

The main authors were repeatedly reminded of correcting the mistake, nobody addressed the issue:

 

https://pubpeer.com/publications/A963F32F86BA0E517810AB79542145

https://pubpeer.com/publications/45F9A57F317015A6A01AF2CFF9AE8A

   .For more than two decades, the parade just dragged on 

https://youtu.be/2lm-hxeavfo

Why We Measure Tau?

Tau and Beyond

Tau renders us a new approach to the cardiac function assessment. Since Tau is directly related to how powerful the muscle is at the beginning of diastole, it is well accepted as the best index to describe diastolic function.

A Tale of Two Harvard Profs: Anversa Opened a Wrong Door, Thomas Closed a Right Door

When I read The Emperor’s New Clothes as a kid, I did not take it seriously. Funny though, I did not think it would ever happen for that was just the adults’ wild imagination to fool the kids around. Grown up, I realised this can truly happen in the adults’ world. Jaw dropping, smart and decent people are usually involved.

Mindray had just launched a high-end ultrasound machine DC80, which is the first Tau-measurable ultrasound machine in the world.

A Small Step in Math, A True Stride in Cardiology

With the progress of Doppler and modern computer technology, I believe that only a few RBCs’ leaking will be needed to give us a much understandable and clear regurgitation curve. Theoretically, merely a short part of the curve is enough to calculate the Tau. As long as we are allowed to choose 3 points from within the definition field, we can use the updated formulas to proceed. Let’s assume the 3 points are a (v_a, t_a), b (v_b, t_b) and c (v_c, t_c) from left to right. The updated formulas are:

All Tau(s) Calculation Formulas

"The beauty of nature lies in her simplicity."

--- Dr Quan Wang