Analysis of cardiac kinetics: use of a new photo-optic technique

The photokymograph (PKG) is a new noninvasive instrument that can record segmental myocardial wall motion from self-illuminated images such as are produce; by fluoroscopy, cine ventriculography, two-dimensional sonography, and 99mTc scintigraphy. The PKG can be calibrated to provide amplitude of myocardial tissue motion. The recordings of segmental wall motion obtained closely resemble those recorded by established techniques, both during control state and during ischemic episodes. Regression analysis was performed to compare PKG recordings with frame by frame analysis of left ventriculograms (0.98) and with M-mode echo derived from two-dimensional images (r = 0.97). The PKG has some distinct advantages over existing techniques used to analyze segmental wall motion: it is inexpensive, usable simultaneously over multiple areas, analyzes individual beats, and is not restricted to any particular myocardial wall or any particular angle of motion.