• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.132-141
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• 2014

In an ordinary CT scan, a large number of projections with full field-of-view (FFOV) are necessary to reconstruct high resolution images. However, excessive x-ray dosage is a great concern in FFOV scan. Region-of-interest (ROI) CT or sparse-view CT is considered to be a solution to reduce x-ray dosage in CT scanning, but it suffers from bright-band artifacts or streak artifacts giving contrast anomaly in the reconstructed image. In this study, we propose an image reconstruction method to eliminate the bright-band artifacts and the streak artifacts simultaneously. In addition to the ROI scan for the interior projection data with relatively high sampling rate in the view direction, we get sparse-view exterior projection data with much lower sampling rate. Then, we reconstruct images by solving a constrained total variation (TV) minimization problem for the interior projection data, which is assisted by the exterior projection data in the compressed sensing (CS) framework. For the interior image reconstruction assisted by the exterior projection data, we implemented the proposed method which enforces dual data fidelity terms and a TV term. The proposed method has effectively suppressed the bright-band artifacts around the ROI boundary and the streak artifacts in the ROI image. We expect the proposed method can be used for low-dose CT scans based on limited x-ray exposure to a small ROI in the human body.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.15-24
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• 2013

Purpose: With the demand of SPECT/CT increasing, the interest in complex diagnostic information of CT is rising along with the expansion of various studies on potential performance value. But the study on reduction of exposure dose generated by CT is not being conducted enough. Therefore, in this study, the goal is to identify how much dose reduction exists when performing the extremity bone SPECT/CT using the flat-panel CT. Materials and Methods: The extremity bone SPECT/CT was performed with two equipments -BrightView XCT (Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, USA) and Brilliance 16 CT (Philips Healthcare, Cleveland, USA)-to identify the exposed dose and image quality resulted by changing scan parameter (mAs) applying for both equipment respectively. The noise value of image and spatial resolution were measured with AAPM CT phantom. Tube voltage (kVp) was fixed to 120 kVp, tube current (mAs) calculated at different mA (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80) was applied to both equipments respectively. DLP (dose length product) were calculated at the same distance at respective mAs. Also, we acquired images and % contrast with NEMA IEC body phantom to confirm the effect on image. The output of statistics was analyzed by SPSS ver.18. Results: Regarding AAPM phantom, the noise decreased as the tube current (mAs) increased and flat-panel had less noise than Helical CT. This difference increased at lower dose exposure. As to the evaluation of spatial resolution, we can differentiate the space up to 0.75 mm with both equipments. With scan parameter (mA) growing, the value of DLP increased up to 54-216 mGy cm at flat-panel CT and up to 177-709 mGy cm at Helical CT. Regarding NEMA IEC body phantom, same sphere with varied parameter (mA) shows that similar results. Conclusion: There is no significant differences of image quality in both flat-panel and Helical CT when the scan parameter (mA) is changed respectively. Moreover, we can identify the reduction of exposure dose and confirm %contrast analysis value with maintaining image quality. Therefore, at the extremity bone SPECT/CT requiring high spital resolution without the wide ROI, the flat-panel CT is considered to be more useful and it expected to result in the similar image quality with lower exposure dose compared to Helical CT. Additionally, through this study, we expect to help the reduction of the unnecessary exposure dose.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.214-221
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• 2008

Purpose: We make a qualitative analysis of whether Fusion SPECT/CT can find lesion's anatomical sites better than existing SPECT or not, and we want to show the usefulness of SPECT/CT through finding out effects of CT attenuation correction on SPECT images. Materials and Method: 1. The evaluation of fusion images: This study comprised patients who was tested $^{131}I$-MIBG, Bone, $^{111}In$-Octreotide, Meckel's diverticulum, Parathyroid MIBI with Precedence 16 or Symbia T2 from 2008 Jan to Aug. We compared SPECT/CT image with non fusion image and make a qualitative analysis. 2. The evaluation of attenuation correction: We classified 38 patients who was tested 201Tl myocardial exam with Symbia T2 into 5 sections by using Cedars Sinai' QPS program - Ant, Inf, Lat, Septum, Apex. And we showed each section's perfusion states by percentage. We compared the each section's perfusion-states differences between CT AC and Non AC by average${\pm}$standard deviation. Results: 1. The evaluation of fusion images : In high energy $^{131}I$ cases, it was hard to grasp exact anatomical lesions due to difference between regions and surrounding lesions' uptake level. After combining with CT, we could grabs anatomical lesion more exactly. And in meckel's diverticulum case or to find lesions around bowels or organs with $^{111}In$ cases, it demonstrates its superiority. Bone SPECT/CT images help to distinguish between disk spaces certainly and give correct results. 2. The evaluation of attenuation correction: There is no significant difference statistically in Ant and Lat (p>0.05), but there is a meaningful difference in Inferior, Apex and Septum (p<0.05). AC perfusion at inferior wall in the 5 sections of myocardium: The perfusion difference between Non AC perfusion image ($68.58{\pm}7.55$) and CT corrected perfusion image ($76.84{\pm}6.52$) was the largest by $8.26{\pm}4.95$ (p<0.01, t=10.29). Conclusion: Nuclear medicine physicians can identify not only molecular image which shows functional activity of lesions but also anatomical location information of lesions with more accuracy using the combination of SPECT and CT systems. Of course this combination helps nuclear medicine physician find out the abnormal parts. Moreover combined data sets help separate between normal group and abnormal group in complicated body part. So clinicians can carry out diagnosis and treatment planning at the same time with a single test image. In addition, when we examine a myocardium in thorax where attenuation can occur easily, we can trust perfusion more in a certain region in SPECT test because CT provides the capability for accurate attenuation correction. In these reasons, we think we can prove the justice after treatment fusion image.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 2005

Purpose : To evaluate the usefulness of the handmade patient immobilization device and to report the clinical results of it. Materials and methods : We made two fusion images and analyzed those images. One image is made with diagnostic MR image and CT image, the other with therapeutic planning MR image and CT image. With open head holder, we measured the skin dose and attenuation dose. Also, we made the planning CT couch plate with acrylic plate and styrofoam and compared artifact. Results : We could get more accurate fusion image when we use MR head holder(within 2mm error). The skin dose was reduced 2 times and the attenuation dose was reduced more than $20\%$ when open head holder used. The planning CT couch plate was more convenient than conventional board and reduced artifact remarkably. Conclusion : We could verify the localization point in the MR image which is taken with MR head holder. So we could fuse the image more accurately. The same method could be applied to PET and US image, if the alike immobilization device used. With open head holder, the skin dose and the attenuation dose was reduced. And those above devices could substitute for expensive foreign device, if those are manufactured adequately.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.4
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• pp.891-899
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• 2023

Purpose To survey perceptions of certified physicians on the protocol of chest CT in patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) using a negative pressure isolation stretcher (NPIS). Materials and Methods This study collected questionnaire responses from a total of 27 certified physicians who had previously performed chest CT with NPIS in COVID-19 isolation hospitals. Results The nine surveyed hospitals performed an average of 116 chest CT examinations with NPIS each year. Of these, an average of 24 cases (21%) were contrast chest CT. Of the 9 pulmonologists we surveyed, 5 (56%) agreed that patients who showed abnormalities in serum D-dimer required contrast chest CT. All 9 surveyed radiologists agreed that the image quality of the chest CT with NPIS was sufficient for CT image interpretation regarding pneumonia or pulmonary embolism. Furthermore, in our 9 surveyed infectionologists, 5 (56%) agreed that a risk of secondary infection in the CT room after temporary opening of NPIS could be prevented through a process of disinfection. Conclusion Experienced physicians considered that the effects of NIPS on chest CT image quality was minimal in patients with COVID-19, and the risk of CT room contamination was easily controlled.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.2958-2965
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• 2013

Purpose : To evaluate the degree of malignancy of incident thyroid lesion found in 18F-FDG PET/CT findings and the usefulness of the method suggested in this study, we applicate the Delay Scan Method that differentiate a false positive benign tumor, inflammation and malignancy, as well as make the criteria of SUV. Materials and Methods : A retrograde study was conducted of 25 patients(1 exception) who were admitted in E hospital to receive 18F-FDG PET/CT examination until Janaary and April of 2008. 18F-FDG PET/CT image photographing was taken in Biograph-Duo made by SIEMENS, after taking normal 18F-FDG PET/CT image(1hr) and then 1hr later we took the thyroid 1 bed-delayed image for the patients who showed abnormal thyroid 18F-FDG uptake and above 2.0 SUV for 2 minutes every 1 bed. For the patients who showed abnormal thyroid uptake and above 2.0 SUV, 1hr later, we took a 1 bed-delayed image and then made a comparative study between measured maxSUV of 1hr-abnormal uptake image and that of 2hr-delayed image. Results : In this 18F-FDG PET/CT study among the patients who showed incidental 18F-FDG thyroidal uptake the number of thyroid cancer was 5(20.8%), all of then showed benign findings. a comparison of results for 18F-FDG PET/CT. the benign patient measured maxSUV in the PET/CT. image(1hr) mean value 5.06maxSUV and delay image(2hr) mean value 5.23maxSUV differences of two value is 0.19maxSUV and the malignantIt patient measured maxSUV in the PET/CT. image(1hr) mean value 9.63maxSUV and delay image(2hr) mean value 10.65maxSUV differences of two value is 10.65maxSUV in Thyroid abnormal uptake patients. Conclusion : in the case of incidental 18F-FDG uptake in thyroid, max SUV of focal thyroid lesion is above 5.0 if 18F-FDG PET/CT examine the delayed images to add, You could see that reasonable diagnostic method useful. to differentiate whether lesions of malignant.

• IEIE Transactions on Smart Processing and Computing
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.311-317
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• 2015

The aim of this study is to develop a 3D registration algorithm for positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images acquired from independent PET/CT and MR imaging systems. Combined PET/CT images provide anatomic and functional information, and MR images have high resolution for soft tissue. With the registration technique, the strengths of each modality image can be combined to achieve higher performance in diagnosis and radiotherapy planning. The proposed method consists of two stages: normalized mutual information (NMI)-based global matching and independent component analysis (ICA)-based refinement. In global matching, the field of view of the CT and MR images are adjusted to the same size in the preprocessing step. Then, the target image is geometrically transformed, and the similarities between the two images are measured with NMI. The optimization step updates the transformation parameters to efficiently find the best matched parameter set. In the refinement stage, ICA planes from the windowed image slices are extracted and the similarity between the images is measured to determine the transformation parameters of the control points. B-spline. based freeform deformation is performed for the geometric transformation. The results show good agreement between PET/CT and MR images.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.295-302
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• 2022

Sparse-view computed tomography (CT) imaging technique is able to reduce radiation dose, ensure the uniformity of image characteristics among projections and suppress noise. However, the reconstructed images obtained by the sparse-view CT imaging technique suffer from severe artifacts, resulting in the distortion of image quality and internal structures. In this study, we proposed a convolutional neural network (CNN) with wavelet transformation and residual learning for reducing artifacts in sparse-view CT image, and the performance of the trained model was quantitatively analyzed. The CNN consisted of wavelet transformation, convolutional and inverse wavelet transformation layers, and input and output images were configured as sparse-view CT images and residual images, respectively. For training the CNN, the loss function was calculated by using mean squared error (MSE), and the Adam function was used as an optimizer. Result images were obtained by subtracting the residual images, which were predicted by the trained model, from sparse-view CT images. The quantitative accuracy of the result images were measured in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM). The results showed that the trained model is able to improve the spatial resolution of the result images as well as reduce artifacts in sparse-view CT images effectively. Also, the trained model increased the PSNR and SSIM by 8.18% and 19.71% in comparison to the imaging model trained without wavelet transformation and residual learning, respectively. Therefore, the imaging model proposed in this study can restore the image quality of sparse-view CT image by reducing artifacts, improving spatial resolution and quantitative accuracy.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.123-131
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• 2019

In this study, we modified CT images of femoral head in consideration of anatomically meaningful structure, proposing the method to augment the training data of convolution Neural network for segmentation of femur mesh model. First, the femur mesh model is obtained from the CT image. Then divide the mesh model into meaningful parts by using cluster analysis on geometric characteristic of mesh surface. Finally, transform the segments by using an appropriate mesh deformation algorithm, then create new CT images by warping CT images accordingly. Deep learning models using the data enhancement methods of this study show better image division performance compared to data augmentation methods which have been commonly used, such as geometric conversion or color conversion.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.581-586
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• 1999

척추의 생체역학적 해석을 위한 유한요소기법을 이용한 컴퓨터 시뮬레이션은 척추의 손상에 대한 발생원인과 기전을 이해하고 치료의 효과를 예측하는 유용한 수단으로 기대되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 요추의 2차원 CT 영상을 이용하여 유한요소해석을 위한 척추의 3차원 모델링에 소비되는 많은 시간을 줄일 수 있도록 3차원 형상모델을 CT 형상 데이터와 형상변수를 이용, 각각 구현하는 과정을 자동화하여 이를 비교하였다.