Figure 4. Time course of the measured stretch tensor.

The radial, circumferential and longitudinal components of the right stretch tensors are plotted as a function of time after the R-wave. The systolic (a) and diastolic (b) timing of the DTI sequence is indicated by the vertical solid line while the systolic sweet spot is marked by the vertical dashed line. The transmural course of the helix angles and the transverse and sheet angle histograms are presented for systole (c) and diastole (d) for a medial/basal level. Systolic and diastolic (black) as well as sweet-spot (gray) data are shown before (dotted line) and after (solid line) strain correction.