• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2005

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess attenuation correction algorithms with the $^{137}Cs$ point source for the brain positron omission tomography (PET) imaging process. Materials & Methods: Four different types of phantoms were used in this study for testing various types of the attenuation correction techniques. Transmission data of a $^{137}Cs$ point source were acquired after infusing the emission source into phantoms and then the emission data were subsequently acquired in 3D acquisition mode. Scatter corrections were performed with a background tail-fitting algorithm. Emission data were then reconstructed using iterative reconstruction method with a measured (MAC), elliptical (ELAC), segmented (SAC) and remapping (RAC) attenuation correction, respectively. Reconstructed images were then both qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. In addition, reconstructed images of a normal subject were assessed by nuclear medicine physicians. Subtracted images were also compared. Results: ELEC, SAC, and RAC provided a uniform phantom image with less noise for a cylindrical phantom. In contrast, a decrease in intensity at the central portion of the attenuation map was noticed at the result of the MAC. Reconstructed images of Jaszack and Hoffan phantoms presented better quality with RAC and SAC. The attenuation of a skull on images of the normal subject was clearly noticed and the attenuation correction without considering the attenuation of the skull resulted in artificial defects on images of the brain. Conclusion: the complicated and improved attenuation correction methods were needed to obtain the better accuracy of the quantitative brain PET images.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.68-80
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• 2012

Purpose : More recently, combined PET/MR scanners have been developed in which the MR data can be used for both anatometabolic image formation and attenuation correction of the PET data. For quantitative PET information, correction of tissue photon attenuation is mandatory. The attenuation map is obtained from the CT scan in the PET/CT. In the case of PET/MR, the attenuation map can be calculated from the MR image. The purpose of this study was to assess the quantitative differences between MR-based and CT-based attenuation corrected PET images. Materials and Methods : Using the uniform cylinder phantom of distilled water which has 199.8 MBq of $^{18}F$-FDG put into the phantom, we studied the effect of MR-based and CT-based attenuation corrected PET images, of the PET-CT using time of flight (TOF) and non-TOF iterative reconstruction. The images were acquired from 60 minutes at 15-minute intervals. Region of interests were drawn over 70% from the center of the image, and the Scanners' analysis software tools calculated both maximum and mean SUV. These data were analyzed by one way-anova test and Bland-Altman analysis. MR images are segmented into three classes(not including bone), and each class is assigned to each region based on the expected average attenuation of each region. For clinical diagnostic purpose, PET/MR and PET/CT images were acquired in 23 patients (Ingenuity TF PET/MR, Gemini TF64). PET/CT scans were performed approximately 33.8 minutes after the beginnig of the PET/MR scans. Region of interests were drawn over 9 regions of interest(lung, liver, spleen, bone), and the Scanners' analysis software tools calculated both maximum and mean SUV. The SUVs from 9 regions of interest in MR-based PET images and in CT-based PET images were compared. These data were analyzed by paired t test and Bland-Altman analysis. Results : In phantom study, MR-based attenuation corrected PET images generally showed slightly lower -0.36~-0.15 SUVs than CT-based attenuation corrected PET images (p<0.05). In clinical study, MR-based attenuation corrected PET images generally showed slightly lower SUVs than CT-based attenuation corrected PET images (excepting left middle lung and transverse Lumbar) (p<0.05). And percent differences were -8.01.79% lower for the PET/MR images than for the PET/CT images. (excepting lung) Based on the Bland-Altman method, the agreement between the two methods was considered good. Conclusion : PET/MR confirms generally lower SUVs than PET/CT. But, there were no difference in the clinical interpretations made by the quantitative comparisons with both type of attenuation map.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.192-201
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• 2005

Experiments and simulation were done to study the impact of contrast agent when CT scan was used to attenuation correction for PET Images in PET/CT system. Whole body phantom was imaged with various concentration of iodine-based contrast agent using CT. Mathematical emission and transmission density map with liver were made to simulate for whole body FDG Imaging. A variety of factors were estimated, including non-uniform enhancement of contrast agent, concentration and distribution size of contrast agent, noise level, image resolution, reconstruction algorithm, hypo-attenuation of contrast agent, and different time phases for contrast agent. Experimental studies showed that Hounsfield unit depends on the concentration of contrast agent and tube voltage. From the simulation data, contrast agents Introduced artifacts and degraded image quality on the attenuation-corrected PET images. The severity of these effects depends on a variety of factors, including the concentration and distribution size of contrast agent, the noise levels, and the Image resolution. These results Indicated that the impact of contrast agents should be considered with a full understanding of their potential problems in clinical PET/CT images.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.83-101
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• 2022

Accurate atmospheric correction is essential for the analysis of land surface and environmental monitoring. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) information is particularly important in atmospheric correction because the radiation attenuation by Mie scattering makes the differences between the radiation calculated at the satellite sensor and the radiation measured at the land surface. Thus, it is necessary to use high-quality AOD data for an appropriate atmospheric correction of high-resolution satellite images. In this study, we examined the Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6S)-based atmospheric correction results for the Sentinel-2 images in South Korea using raster AOD (MODIS) and single-point AOD (AERONET). The 6S result was overall agreed with the Sentinel-2 level 2 data. Moreover, using raster AOD showed better performance than using single-point AOD. The atmospheric correction using the single-point AOD yielded some inappropriate values for forest and water pixels, where as the atmospheric correction using raster AOD produced stable and natural patterns in accordance with the land cover map. Also, the Sentinel-2 normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) after the 6S correction had similar patterns to the up scaled drone NDVI, although Sentinel-2 NDVI had relatively low values. Also, the spatial distribution of both images seemed very similar for growing and harvest seasons. Future work will be necessary to make efforts for the gap-filling of AOD data and an accurate bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model for high-resolution atmospheric correction. These methods can help improve the land surface monitoring using the future Compact Advanced Satellite 500 in South Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2008

Purpose: The evaluation of SUV (Standardized Uptake Values) for quantitative analysis in PET exam is the most significant. In PET exam, we make attenuation correction images by using $^{68}Ge$, $^{137}Cs$ or CT data. At this time, a distorted attenuation map affects quantitative analysis. After the exam using barium-sulfate and high density of barium contrast make attenuation map distorted. And then it brings bed influences on SUV. The aim of this study is to verify the relationship between high density barium-sulfate and SUV in PET exam. Materials and Methods By using $^{18}F$-FDG, we made barium-sulfate powder, density of 0, 1.5, 3, 5, 10 and 15% respectively and acquired PET and PET/CT images per each density. And we examined SUV variations from PET and PET/CT images according to differences of barium's density. Moreover, we finally calculated SUV causing variations in HU (Hounsfield Units) values to justify whether the differences of barium density bring any changes in PET/CT exam. Results: From PET images acquired from transmission scan with $^{68}Ge$, we got SUV figures from 6.46 to 6.8 in barium density between 0 to 15 percent. On the other hand, In PET images acquired from Tx scan that using CT, SUV was 6.77 to 23.73, derived from the same barium density. And CT HU values range from 29 to 2004. Conclusion: PET images from Tx data using $^{68}Ge$ weren't affected by barium density and had no differences in SUV. But in the PET/CT images using CT Tx data, there's considerable variations in HU and SUV values according to a difference of barium density in HU values. To perform a precise examination, barium sulfate should be removed from a human body before performing a PET exam.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.134-138
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• 2007

The current PET/CT system with high quality CT images not only increases diagnostic value by providing anatomic localization, but also shortens the acquisition time for attenuation correction than primary PET system. All commercially available PET/CT system uses the CT scan for attenuation correction instead of the transmission scan using radioactive source such as $^{137}Cs,\;^{68}Ge$. However the CT scan may substantially increase the patient dose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate quality of PET images reconstructed by CT attenuation map using various tube currents. in this study, images were acquired for 3D Hoffman brain phantom and cylindrical phantom using GE DSTe PET/CT system. The emission data were acquired for 10 min using phantoms after injecting 44.03 MBq of $^{18}F-FDG$. The CT images for attenuation map were acquired by changing tube current from 10 mA to 95 mA with fixed exposure time of 8 sec and fixed tube voltage of 140 kVp. The PET images were reconstructed using these CT attenuation maps. Image quality of CT images was evaluated by measuring SD (standard deviation) of cylindrical phantom which was filled with water and $^{18}F-FDG$ solution. The PET images were evaluated by measuring the activity ratio between gray matter and white matter in Hoffman phantom images. SDs of CT images decrease by increasing tube current. When PET images were reconstructed using CT attenuation maps with various tube currents, the activity ratios between gray matter and white matter of PET images were almost same. These results indicated that the quality of the PET images using low dose CT data were comparable to the PET images using general dose CT data. Therefore, the use of low dose CT is recommended than the use of general dose CT, when the diagnostic high quality CT is not required. Further studies may need to be performed for other system, since this study is limited to the GE DSTe system used in this study.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.246-251
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• 2005

Purpose: There has been many reports for the effect of attenuation correction on myocardial perfusion SPECT. We studied the effect of attenuation correction with CT (computed tomography) in patients with normal coronary angiography. Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients with normal coronary artery on angiography and low likelihood of coronary artery disease were enrolled in this study (male: 6, female: 9, mean age: $58{\pm}8$ year). Myocardial perfusion SPECT was done with Millennium VG with Hawkeye device (GE, SPECT/CT camera). A visual analysis and polar map quantification (Emory tool box) was performed. In quantitative analysis, percent uptake of each myocardial wall on polar map (percent of maximal uptake) was compared between non-corrected (NC) and corrected (AC) images. Results: Visual analysis showed AC images led to an increase of uptake in the inferior wall, but decrease of uptake in the anterior wall, apex and septum. liver activity is also increased in AC images. In quantitative analysis, the percent uptake is decreased in the anterior wall, apex and septum, but increased in the inferior wall. It is helpful to interpret the images in the inferior wall after AC, but difficult in the apex and anterior wall after AC. Conclusion: AC is helpful in the inferior wall. But in the apex or anterior wall, AC must be carefully applied to normal perfused myocardium.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.80-86
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• 2002

Presently, PET is widely used in oncology, but suffers from limitations of poor anatomical information. To compensate for this weakness, a combined PET/CT has been developed by Professor Townsend at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The prototype was designed as PET and CT components combined serially in a gantry. The CT images provide not only accurate anatomical location of the lesions but also transmission map for attenuation correction. More than 300 cancer patients have been studied with the prototype of PET/CT since July, 1998. The PET/CT studies affected the managements in about $20{\sim}30%$ of cancer patients. These changes are a consequence of the more accurate localization of functional abnormalities, and the distinction of pathological from normal physiological uptake. Now a variety of combined PET/CT scanners with high-end PET and high-end CT components are commercially available. With the high speed of multi-slice helical CT, throughput of patient's increases compared to conventional PET. Although some problems (such as a discrepancy in breathing state between the two modalities) still remain, the role of PET/CT in oncology is very promising.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.716-723
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• 2008

With rapid development of science and technology and recent widening of mankind's range of activities, development of coastal waters and the environment have emerged as global issues. In relation to this, to allow more extensive analyses, the use of satellite images has been on the increase. This study aims at utilizing hyperspectral satellite images in determining the depth of coastal waters more efficiently. For this purpose, a partial image of the research subject was first extracted from an EO-1 Hyperion satellite image, and atmospheric and geometric corrections were made. Minimum noise fraction (MNF) transformation was then performed to compress the bands, and the band most suitable for analyzing the characteristics of the water body was selected. Within the chosen band, the diffuse attenuation coefficient Kd was determined. By deciding the end-member of pixels with pure spectral properties and conducting mapping based on the linear spectral unmixing method, the depth of water at the coastal area in question was ultimately determined. The research findings showed the calculated depth of water differed by an average of 1.2 m from that given on the digital sea map; the errors grew larger when the water to be measured was deeper. If accuracy in atmospheric correction, end-member determination, and Kd calculation is enhanced in the future, it will likely be possible to determine water depths more economically and efficiently.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.473-479
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• 2019

PET-CT improves performance and reduces the time by combining PET and CT of spatial resolution, and uses CT scan for attenuation correction. This study analyzed PET image evaluation. The condition of the tube voltage and current of CT will be changed using. Uniformity phantom and resolution phantom were injected with 37 MBq $^{18}F$ (fluorine ; 511 keV, half life - 109.7 min), respectively. PET-CT (Biograph, siemens, US) was used to perform emission scan (30 min) and penetration scan. And then the collected image data were reconstructed in OSEM-3D. The same ROI was set on the image data with a analyzer (Vinci 2.54, Germany) and profile was used to analyze and compare spatial resolution and image quality through FWHM and SI. Analyzing profile with pre-defined ROI in each phantom, PET image was not influenced by the change of tube voltage or exposure dose. However, CT image was influenced by tube voltage, but not by exposure dose. When tube voltage was fixed and exposure dose changed, exposure dose changed too, increasing dose value. When exposure dose was fixed at 150 mA and tube voltage was varied, the result was 10.56, 24.6 and 35.61 mGy in each variables (in resolution phantom). In this study, attenuation image showed no significant difference when exposure dose was changed. However, when exposure dose increased, the amount of dose that patient absorbed increased too, which indicates that CT exposure dose should be decreased to minimum to lower the exposure dose that patient absorbs. Therefore future study needs to discuss the conditions that could minimize exposure dose that gets absorbed by patient during PET-CT scan.