[ABSTRACT] Objective To evaluate the validation of ultrasound-based strain rate imaging (SRI) in the quantitative assessment of the right ventricular (RV) globe contractile function. Methods Tissue Doppler images of whole longitudinal RV free wall were recorded from the apical 4-chamber view in 7 closed-chest anesthetized mongrel dogs during 5 different inotropic states. dP/dTmax of RV in the isovolumic contraction period was obtained simultaneously in each inotropic state during the right cardiac catheterization, and served as the gold standard of RV contractility. Peak systolic velocities (V), peak systolic strain rates (SR), peak systolic strains (S) at the basal and middle segment of RV free wall from the longitudinal axis were quantitatively measured using commercial QLAB software system respectively. The above peak systolic indices were compared against dP/dTmax by linear correlation. Results The peak systolic indices at the basal and middle segments of longitudinal RV free wall increased with the infusion of dobutamine and decreased with the infusion of esmolol. A significant correlation was found between RV dP/dTmax and peak systolic indices of RV free wall. But the most significant correlation was between the peak systolic SRs and dP/dTmax (with the peak systolic SR at the basal segment r= 0.9197, p<0.01; with the corresponding one at the middle segment r=0.9033, p<0.01). Conclusion Ultrasound-based SRI could quantitatively estimate RV globe contractile function. Peak systolic SRs determined at the longitudinal RV free wall might be a good noninvasive indices of RV globe contractility.