• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2020

In High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment, effective localization of HIFU focus is important for developing a safe treatment plan. While Magnetic Resonance Imaging guided HIFU (MRIgHIFU) can visualize the ultrasound path during the treatment for localizing HIFU focus, it is challenging in ultrasound imaging guided HIFU (USIgHIFU). In the present study, a real-time ultrasound beam visualization technique capable of localizing HIFU focus is presented for USIgHIFU. In the proposed method, a short pulse, with the same center frequency of an imaging ultrasound transducer below the regulated acoustic intensity (i.e., Ispta < 720 mW/㎠), was transmitted through a HIFU transducer whereupon backscattered signals were received by the imaging transducer. To visualize the HIFU beam path, the backscattered signals underwent dynamic receive focusing and subsequent echo processing. From in vitro experiments with bovine serum albumin gel phantoms, the HIFU beam path was clearly depicted with low acoustic intensity (i.e., Ispta of 94.8 mW/㎠) and the HIFU focus was successfully localized before any damages were produced. This result indicates that the proposed ultrasound beam path visualization method can be used for localizing the HIFU focus in real time while minimizing unwanted tissue damage in USIgHIFU treatment.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.78-83
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• 2007

Robot collects surrounding information to recognize tile unknown environment by using various sensors such as visual, infrared ray and ultra sonic sensors. Although visual sensor is the most popular one, it has some difficulties in collecting data in dark or too bright environment due to sensitivity of the light. It also requests significant amount of calculation on collecting data from certain images with marked, straight and curved ones. As an alternative, ultra sonic sensor can simply overcome this visual sensing system's flaw and easily be used. It is easier than visual system, especially in case of collecting data on object and distance in dark environment. Ultra sonic sensor can replace the expensive visual sensing system not only in avoiding obstacles but also in reaching to the target area smoothly. The purpose of this paper is to develop the algorithm to optimize the environmental recognition, path planning and free-ranging by minimizing errors caused by inaccurate information and by considering characteristics of the ultra sonic rays such as refraction and diffusion. This paper also realizes the system that can recognize the environment and make the appropriate path planning by applying the algorithm on this moving robot.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.172-176
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• 1994

Interpreted is the geometric signal in the angle beam ultrasonic testing for the pin-finger type of turbine blade roots. The geometry of the blade roots is described and the reflection conditions for appearance of the geometric signal are proposed. The general equation for its beam path is derived and verified. As the results, it is found that the geometric signal is the back reflection front the ligament edge, and its position and amplitude can be determined from the dimension of blade root and the beam directivity of transducer.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 1998

In this paper, we present the degradation of focusing induced by velocity inhomogeneity in human tissue. For simulation, the fatty layer which is the major factor of degradation for its lower velocity, is modeled as a uniform velocity perturbation layer. And we simulate the degradation of resolution resulting from change of beam path due to refraction and the time delay due to velocity difference. We show that focusing error can be compensated for considering the velocity inhomogeneity only. The proposed compensation method can be operated in real time in the presently used digital focusing systems.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• autumn
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• pp.303-306
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• 2000

복잡한 형상을 지닌 터빈 블래이드의 결함을 검사하기 위해 현재 $35^\circ,\; 38^\circ,\; 40^\circ$의 횡파 굴절각을 지닌 탐촉자를 사용하고 있다. 이와 같은 굴절각은 초음파 빔의 경로를 Snell의 법칙에 의해 설정하고 있다. 그러나 터빈 블래이드 검사용 초음파 탐촉자를 제작하는 과정에서 $35^\circ$의 횡파 굴절각을 갖는 경사각 탐촉자는 제작이 어려움을 알았다. 이러한 원인은 철강재료의 종파임계각이 $33.2^\circ$의 횡과굴절각에 대응되며, 종파임계각 근처에서는 전반사 현상 때문에 에너지 투과율이 매우 작아 실제 시험대상체에 입사되는 에너지가 거의 없으며 또한 횡파굴절각이 약 $37.5^\circ$ 일때에 휭파의 에너지 투과율이 최대가 되어 wedge를 $37.5^\circ$ 이하의 횡파굴절각을 갖도록 설계하더라도 측정을 하면 $37.5^\circ$ 근처의 횡파굴 절각을 갖게된다. 즉, 종파임계각 근처에서는 전반사 현상에 의해 경계면에서의 에너지 투과가 매우 작아 횡파 굴절각은 Snell의 법칙이 아닌 초음파 에너지의 투과 정도를 나타내는 echo transmittance의 크기에 의해 결정된다.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.675-683
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• 1992

Mapping and navigation system based on certainty grids for an autonomous mobile robt operating in unknown and unstructured environment is described. The system uses sonar range data to build a map of robot's surroundings. The range data from sonar sensor are integrated into a probability map that is composed of two dimensional grids which contain the probabilities of being occupied by the objects in the environment. A Bayesian model is used to estimate the uncertainty of the sensor information and to update the existing probability map with new range data. The resulting two dimensional map is used for path planning and navigation. In this paper, the Bayesian updating model which was successfully simulated in our earlier work is implemented on a mobile robot and is shown to be valid in the real world through experiment. This paper also proposes a technique for reducing for reducing specular reflection problem of sonar system which seriousely deteriorates the map quality, and a new path planning method based on weighted distance, which enables the robot to efficiently navigate in an unknown area.