Abstract: A fatty tissue image display device includes a light source, an ultrasonic wave transmission/reception mechanism, an analysis unit which calculates a velocity change of ultrasonic waves after irradiation with a heating beam as compared to before irradiation with light, a display control unit which displays the distribution of the calculated velocity change of the ultrasonic waves, a designation unit which waits for the designation of a region of interest, a histogram calculation unit which, based on luminance information or color information within the designated region of interest, calculates the histograms of a fatty region showing a negative velocity change of the ultrasonic waves and a normal region showing a positive velocity change of the ultrasonic waves, and an index calculation unit which, from the calculated histograms of the fatty and normal regions, calculates a fatty change index that is an index of a proportion of fatty tissue.

Abstract: A body fat diagnostic apparatus, with which a change in the velocity of ultrasonic waves can be measured and fat can be diagnosed while suppressing the effects of a periodical change due to respiration and heartbeats of a subject, is formed of: a process unit for sequentially acquiring ultrasonic wave echo signals for a number of frames so as to form a group of B mode images; a data storage unit for storing the ultrasonic wave echo signals corresponding to the groups of B mode images; a sampling unit for sampling one frame as a standard image and another frame as a comparative image through the calculation of a cross correlation; and a velocity change analyzing unit for forming an image by calculating a change in the velocity of ultrasonic waves on the basis of the ultrasonic wave echo signals corresponding to the standard image and the comparative image.

Abstract: A body fat diagnostic apparatus with which fat can be diagnosed safely is provided even in the case where a deep portion of the living body is diagnosed or there are bone tissues outside the measurement region. The body fat diagnostic apparatus is formed of: a probe 2 for emitting ultrasonic waves both for applying heat and for diagnosis; and an ultrasonic wave velocity change analyzing unit 15 for calculating the change in the velocity of ultrasonic waves in the measurement region on the basis of the ultrasonic wave echo signals acquired from the region before and after the application of heat using the probe 2, so that fat is diagnosed on the basis of the calculated change in the velocity of ultrasonic waves.

Abstract: An analysis apparatus which analyses a state of a specimen and includes: a temperature adjustment unit which lowers a temperature of the specimen by cooling the specimen; a light source which heats at least a part of the specimen cooled by the temperature adjustment unit, by illuminating the specimen with light; a first temperature measurement unit which measures a temperature change of the specimen caused by the heating by the light source; and an analysis unit which analyzes the state of the specimen based on the temperature change of the specimen. For example, the first temperature measurement unit has an ultrasonic probe which transmits an ultrasonic pulse to the specimen and receives a reflected wave that is the ultrasonic pulse reflected from the specimen, and measures the temperature of the specimen based on a signal of the reflected wave.

Abstract: Provided is a fatty tissue image display device capable of displaying an index indicating the degree of progress of fatty change.

Abstract: A process of producing a highly spin-polarized electron beam, including the steps of applying a light energy to a semiconductor device comprising a first compound semiconductor layer having a first lattice constant and a second compound semiconductor layer having a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant, the second semiconductor layer being in junction contact with the first semiconductor layer to provide a strained semiconductor heterostructure, a magnitude of mismatch between the first and second lattice constants defining an energy splitting between a heavy hole band and a light hole band in the second semiconductor layer, such that the energy splitting is greater than a thermal noise energy in the second semiconductor layer in use; and extracting the highly spin-polarized electron beam from the second semiconductor layer upon receiving the light energy.

Abstract: A process of producing a highly spin-polarized electron beam, including the steps of applying a light energy to a semiconductor device comprising a first compound semiconductor layer having a first lattice constant and a second compound semiconductor layer having a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant, the second semiconductor layer being in junction contact with the first semiconductor layer to provide a strained semiconductor heterostructure, a magnitude of mismatch between the first and second lattice constants defining an energy splitting between a heavy hole band and a light hole band in the second semiconductor layer, such that the energy splitting is greater than a thermal noise energy in the second semiconductor layer in use; and extracting the highly spin-polarized electron beam from the second semiconductor layer upon receiving the light energy.

Abstract: A process of producing a highly spin-polarized electron beam, including the steps of applying a light energy to a semiconductor device comprising a first compound semiconductor layer having a first lattice constant and a second compound semiconductor layer having a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant, the second semiconductor layer being in junction contact with the first semiconductor layer to provide a strained semiconductor heterostructure, a magnitude of mismatch between the first and second lattice constants defining an energy splitting between a heavy hole band and a light hole band in the second semiconductor layer, such that the energy splitting is greater than a thermal noise energy in the second semiconductor layer in use; and extracting the highly spin-polarized electron beam from the second semiconductor layer upon receiving the light energy.

Abstract: A semiconductor device for emitting, upon receiving a light energy, a highly spin-polarized electron beam, including a first compound semiconductor layer formed of gallium arsenide phosphide, GaAs.sub.l-x P.sub.x, and having a first lattice constant; a second compound semiconductor layer grown with gallium arsenide, GaAs, on the first compound semiconductor layer, and having a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant, the second compound semiconductor layer emitting the highly spin-polarized electron beam upon receiving the light energy; and a fraction, x, of the gallium arsenide phosphide GaAs.sub.l-x P.sub.x and a thickness, t, of the second compound semiconductor layer defining a magnitude of mismatch between the first and second lattice constants, such that the magnitude of mismatch provides a residual strain, .epsilon..sub.R, of not less than 2.0.times.10.sup.-3 in the second layer. The fraction x of the gallium arsenide phosphide GaAs.sub.l-x P.sub.