동적 영상 획득 방식을 이용한 정적 영상의 움직임 보정

The Application of Dynamic Acquisition with Motion Correction for Static Image

정적 영상 획득 시 기존의 정적 영상 획득 방식 대신 동적 영상 획득 방식을 이용하여 움직임에 의한 motion correction을 적용함으로써 정적 영상 획득 시 발생되는 움직임에 의한 문제점을 해결하고자 하였다. 실험은 capillary tube와 IEC body phantom을 이용하여 움직임이 없을 때 정적 영상 획득 방식으로 얻은 영상과 동적 영상 획득 방식으로 얻은 각각의 frame을 더한 영상에 대해 resolution, frequency, total counts, blind test를 비교 분석하였으며 임의로 최소한의 움직임과 과도한 움직임을 주어 motion correction 전후의 영상에 대해서도 resolution, frequency, total counts, blind test를 비교 분석 하였다. 기존의 정적 영상 획득 방식으로 얻은 영상과 동적 영상 획득 방식으로 얻은 각각의 frame을 더한 영상의 resolution, frequency, total counts, blind test의 결과 값의 차이가 없었다. 또한 최소한의 움직임과 과도한 움직임을 준 영상에 대해 motion correction 적용 전후의 비교 결과 값은 motion correction 후 resolution, frequency, blind test의 결과 값이 움직임이 없을 때의 정적 영상과 거의 차이가 없었다. 하지만 과도한 움직임에 대한 보정 시 frame당 흐림 현상이 많이 발생 하였으므로 좌표 보정이 어려워 frame을 제외하는 방법을 적용하였기 때문에 과도한 motion correction 후 삭제한 frame 수만큼 total counts에서 차이를 보였다. 정적 영상 획득 시 움직임이 예상되는 환자에게 기존의 정적 영상 획득방식이 아닌 동적 영상 획득 방식을 이용하여 움직임 발생시 좌표 보정과 흐림 현상이 심한 frame 제외 방법을 이용하여 정적 영상에서 움직임에 의해 발생되었던 영상의 질 저하와 정량적 분석의 신뢰도 감소, 재검사에 대한 문제점을 해결할 수 있을 것이라고 생각되며 motion correction에 제공되는 다양한 프로그램 개발과 임상 적용에 대한 광범위한 연구가 현실적으로 필요하며 향후 지속적인 연구가 기대되는 바이다.

Purpose: The static image of nuclear medicine study should be acquired without a motion, however, it is difficult to acquire static image without movement for the serious patients, advanced aged patients. These movements cause decreases in reliability for quantitative and qualitative analysis, therefore re-examination was inevitable in the some cases. Consequently, in order to improve the problem of motion artifacts, the authors substituted the dynamic acquisition technique for the static acquisition, using motion correction. Materials and Methods: A capillary tube and IEC body phantom were used. First, the static image was acquired for 60 seconds while the dynamic images were acquired with a protocol, 2 sec/frame${\times}$30 frames, under the same parameter and the frames were summed up into one image afterwards. Also, minimal motion and excessive motion were applied during the another dynamic acquisition and the coordinate correction was applied towards X and Y axis on the frames where the motion artifact occurred. But the severe blurred images were deleted. Finally, the resolution and counts were compared between the static image and the summed dynamic images which before and after applying motion correction, and the signal of frequency was analysed after frequency spatial domain was transformed into 2D FFT. Supplementary examination, the blind test was performed by the nuclear medicine department staff. Results: First, the resolution in the static image and summed dynamic image without motion were 8.32 mm, 8.37 mm on X-axis and 8.30 mm, 8.42 mm on Y-axis, respectively. The counts were 484 kcounts, 485 kcounts each, so there was nearly no difference. Secondly, the resolution in the image with minimal motion applying motion correction was 8.66 mm on X-axis, 8.85 mm on Y-axis and had 469 kcounts while the image without motion correction was 21.81 mm, 24.02 mm and 469 kcounts in order. So, this shows the image with minimal motion applying motion correction has similar resolution with the static image. Lastly, the resolution in the images with excessive motion applying motion correction were 9.09 mm on X-axis, 8.83 mm on Y-axis and had 469 kcounts while the image without motion correction was 47.35 mm, 40.46 mm and 255 kcounts in order. Although there was difference in counts because of deletion of blurred frames, we could get similar resolution. And when the image was transformed into frequency, the high frequency was decreased by the movement. However, the frequency was improved again after motion correction. In the blind test, there was no difference between the image applying motion correction and the static image without motion. Conclusion: There was no significant difference between the static image and the summed dynamic image. This technique can be applied to patients who may have difficulty remaining still during the imaging process, so that the quality of image can be improved as well as the reliance for analysis of quantity. Moreover, the re-examination rate will be considerably decreased. However, there is a limit of motion correction, more time will be required to successfully image the patients applying motion correction. Also, the decrease of total counts due to deletion of the severe blurred images should be calculated and the proper number of frames should be acquired.