Masako Matsuoka

Detection of left ventricular regional relaxation abnormalities and asynchrony in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with the use of tissue Doppler imaging

BACKGROUND It is well known that the distribution and magnitude of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy are not uniform in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which results in regional heterogeneity of LV early diastolic function. The advent of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) has allowed the noninvasive evaluation of regional LV wall motion velocities. The aim of this study was to evaluate regional LV relaxation abnormalities and asynchrony noninvasively in patients with HCM by using pulsed and color-coded TDI. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 20 patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy (HCM group) and 18 age-matched normal patients (control group). The peak early diastolic motion velocity (Ew) and time from the aortic component of the second heart sound to the peak of the Ew (II(A)-Ew) were measured by pulsed TDI. The myocardial velocity gradient during early diastole (MVG-Ew) also was measured by color-coded TDI. Mean values for these parameters were determined on the basis of measurements made at 2 sites of the ventricular septum or posterior wall at the levels of chordae tendineae and papillary muscles. The mean Ew and mean MVG-Ew for the ventricular septum and posterior wall were significantly lower, and mean II(A)-Ew was significantly prolonged in the HCM group compared with the control group. This difference was most pronounced in the hypertrophied ventricular septum of the HCM group. The standard deviations of II(A)-Ew for the ventricular septum and posterior wall were significantly greater in the HCM group than in the control group. The time constant of LV pressure decay during isovolumic diastole (tau) correlated inversely with Ew and MVG-Ew and correlated directly with II(A)-Ew. Furthermore, tau correlated directly with the standard deviation of the II(A)-Ew. CONCLUSIONS LV early diastolic function in patients with HCM may be mediated by an augmentation of regional LV relaxation abnormalities and asynchrony.

Evaluating of Diamond Like Carbon Using Deep UV Raman Spectroscopy

Deep UV Raman spectroscopy is expected as a technique to evaluate diamond like carbon (DLC) because it observes sp3 bonds peak, called T-peak, and sp2 bonds, called G-peak, directly. To use the advantage of deep UV Raman spectroscopy, we show the evaluation of sp2 bonds rich DLC, called a-C:H, and several type of sp3 bond rich, called ta-C. The a-C:H samples are thermal treatment sample which are evaluated by visible Raman on empirical rule. These were evaluated by Deep UV Raman. It is considered that Deep UV Raman spectroscopy is versatile technique for evaluating diamond like carbon.

In-situ Raman Spectroscopic Investigation of the Effect of Cooling Speed on Domain Formation in PbTiO3 Films

The influence of the post-deposition cooling speed on the domain formation process of PbTiO3 films was investigated using MOCVD equipment combined with in-situ Raman spectroscopy. The accumulation and relaxation of strain during the post-deposition cooling process is responsible for the domain structure. The Curie temperature for fast cooling is lower than that for slow cooling. Additionally, the residual strain with fast cooling is smaller than that with slow cooling. These observations suggest that the volume fraction of the c-domain is larger for fast cooling and that the atmospheric conditions during the first post-deposition cooling process may control the domain structure.

Structural Investigation of Highly Polarized Single-c-Domain thin Films Grown by Magnetron Sputtering with Raman Spectroscopy

Single-c-domain/single-crystal PZT thin films grown by rf magnetron sputtering on SrRuO3/Pt/MgO substrates was investigated by Raman spectroscopy. The Raman spectroscopy measurement revealed that the sputter deposited thin film has high quality and highly c domain oriented. In addition, Raman spectroscopy revealed the local strain configuration in the sputtered thin films from the surface to the substrates. These local stresses were discussed with dielectric property.