• 한국정보과학회논문지:소프트웨어및응용
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• 제30권12호
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• pp.1247-1254
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• 2003

현재 경동맥 내막절제술 시행을 위한 경동맥 협착증의 정도 측정에는 디지털감산조영술(DSA), 회전조영술(rotational angiography), 컴퓨터단층조영술(CTA) 및 자기공명조영술(MRA)로부터 얻어진 경동맥의 투영 영상을 이용하여 북미, 유럽 표준 및 총경동맥 방법이 사용되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 기존의 기계적인 측경기를 이용하는 전형적인 경동맥 협착 측정 방법의 단점을 극복하고, 측정자간의 변화율을 최소화하기 위해 자기공명조영술의 단면 영상을 사용하고 컴퓨터화한 새로운 협착증 정도 측정 방법을 개발하였다. 영상 분할에 사용되는 방법중 가장 널리 사용되고 효율적인 명암값 임계치 방법을 사용하여 경동맥 및 동맥의 내강을 분할하였다. 또한, 각 증례의 측정된 총경동맥의 혈관두께를 사용하여 분할된 경동맥으로부터 혈관을 제거 하였고, 혈관이 제거된 경동맥을 혈류 영역과 플라그 영역으로 분할하였다. 각 단면 영상에서의 경동맥 협착증 정도 측정은 (분할된 플라그 영역/혈류영역 및 플라그를 합한 면적) * 100% 식으로 계산된다.

• 한국항행학회논문지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.115-122
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• 2013

최근 의료영상을 이용한 질병 진단법에 대한 관심이 증가하고 있는 추세이다. 관절경화증은 경동맥의 동맥을 좁게 하여 뇌로 들어가는 혈류의 일부 또는 전체를 차단하는 원인이 된다. 뇌로 흘러가는 혈류가 차단되는 경우 심각한 뇌졸중을 야기하기도 한다. 만일 초기에 경동맥 플라크를 발견하고 이를 치료하면 심각한 뇌졸중을 예방할 수 있다. 본 논문에서는 경동맥의 동맥 초음파 영상에서 경동맥 플라크를 쉽게 발견하기 위한 능동적 윤곽선 추출기법에 기반을 둔 자동 분할기법을 제안한다. 실험에서 사용되는 초음파 영상은 자동 분할기법을 적용하기 전에 적절히 정렬되어있다고 가정한다. 경동맥의 동맥 초음파 영상에 대하여 스네이크 모델을 이용하여 자동분할 방법과 수동분할 방법을 질적 비교한 결과 제안된 방법이 성공적으로 적용되었음을 보여준다. 실험결과 제안된 방법은 방사선사들이 플라크를 쉽게 찾는데 도움을 줄 수 있는 자동화 방법이 될 것으로 예상된다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.203-209
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• 2010

Objective : The purpose of study was to evaluate the feasibility of brain magnetic resonance (MR) images of the rat obtained using a 1.5T MR machine in several blood-brain barrier (BBB) experiments. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. MR images were obtained using a clinical 1.5T MR machine. A microcatheter was introduced via the femoral artery to the carotid artery. Normal saline (group 1, n = 4), clotted autologous blood (group 2, n = 4), triolein emulsion (group 3, n = 4), and oleic acid emulsion (group 4, n = 4) were infused into the carotid artery through a microcatheter. Conventional and diffusion-weighted images, the apparent coefficient map, perfusion-weighted images, and contrast-enhanced MR images were obtained. Brain tissue was obtained and triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was performed in group 2. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled dextran images and endothelial barrier antigen (EBA) studies were performed in group 4. Results : The MR images in group 1 were of good quality. The MR images in group 2 revealed typical findings of acute cerebral infarction. Perfusion defects were noted on the perfusion-weighted images. The MR images in group 3 showed vasogenic edema and contrast enhancement, representing vascular damage. The rats in group 4 had vasogenic edema on the MR images and leakage of dextran on the FITC-labeled dextran image, representing increased vascular permeability. The immune reaction was decreased on the EBA study. Conclusion : Clinical 1.5T MR images using a rat depicted many informative results in the present study. These results can be used in further researches of the BBB using combined clinical MR machines and immunohistochemical examinations.

• 정보처리학회논문지B
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• 제13B권4호
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• pp.401-408
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• 2006

영상신호의 수직축 및 수평축 화소 성분 분석을 통해서, 영상 내부에 존재하는 각 영역의 군집적 특성을 통계 및 영역적으로 처리 분류함으로써 필요한 특징을 추출할 수 있는 새로운 형태의 영역분할처리 알고리즘을 제시한다. 종래의 점처리나 면처리 방식에 비해 이 방식은 수평축과 수직축 상에서의 연속적인 선처리 방식이라고 할 수 있다. 영상을 구성하는 영역간 경계가 암시적으로 구분되어 있으나, 명시적으로는 불투명하고, 영상 특성의 분기점 또한 불명확하고 중복되어 있음으로 인하여 문턱치처리나 분기점처리로 그 영역간 특정을 분할, 추출하기가 곤란한 경우에 이 방식은 우수한 효과가 있다. 수평축 및 수직축 선처리를 통해 각 영역들의 특성들을 군집으로 처리한 다음 처리한 축과 수직 방향으로 축차적 적응진행처리한다. 그 결과 영상 내 각 영역은 화소값의 중복에도 불구하고 하나의 군집으로 자리매김하면서 군집 고유의 화소 값을 갖는다. 그리고 처리후 영상은 각 군집에 부여한 새로운 화소값으로 변환함으로 필요한 특정이 추출된다. 이 방식은 특히 영역 분할을 통해 시각적 효과를 극대화시킬 필요가 있는 경동맥 초음파 의료영상에서 우수한 결과를 보였다.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.384-394
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• 2024

Objective: To evaluate the image quality of novel dark-blood computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging combined with deep learning reconstruction (DLR) compared to delayed-phase CTA images with hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR), to visualize the cervical artery wall in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK). Materials and Methods: This prospective study continuously recruited 53 patients with TAK (mean age: 33.8 ± 10.2 years; 49 females) between January and July 2022 who underwent head-neck CTA scans. The arterial- and delayed-phase images were reconstructed using HIR and DLR. Subtracted images of the arterial-phase from the delayed-phase were then added to the original delayed-phase using a denoising filter to generate the final-dark-blood images. Qualitative image quality scores and quantitative parameters were obtained and compared among the three groups of images: Delayed-HIR, Dark-blood-HIR, and Dark-blood-DLR. Results: Compared to Delayed-HIR, Dark-blood-HIR images demonstrated higher qualitative scores in terms of vascular wall visualization and diagnostic confidence index (all P < 0.001). These qualitative scores further improved after applying DLR (Dark-blood-DLR compared to Dark-blood-HIR, all P < 0.001). Dark-blood DLR also showed higher scores for overall image noise than Dark-blood-HIR (P < 0.001). In the quantitative analysis, the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) values between the vessel wall and lumen for the bilateral common carotid arteries and brachiocephalic trunk were significantly higher on Dark-blood-HIR images than on Delayed-HIR images (all P < 0.05). The CNR values were significantly higher for Dark-blood-DLR than for Dark-blood-HIR in all cervical arteries (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: Compared with Delayed-HIR CTA, the dark-blood method combined with DLR improved CTA image quality and enhanced visualization of the cervical artery wall in patients with TAK.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.250-255
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• 2017

In this paper, we propose a method of detecting the region for measuring intima-media thickness (IMT). The existing methods for IMT measurement are automatic, but the region used for measuring IMT is not detected automatically but often set by the user. Therefore, research on detecting the intima-media region is needed for fully automated IMT measurement. The proposed method uses a morphological feature of the carotid artery visible as two long high-brightness horizontal lines at the upper and lower parts. It uses Gaussian blurring, ends-in search stretching, color quantization using a color-importance-based self-organizing map, and morphological operations to emphasize and to detect the morphological feature. The experimental results for evaluating the performance of the proposed method showed a 97.25% (106/109) success rate. Therefore, the proposed method can be used to develop a fully automated IMT measurement system.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.246-255
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• 2022

Objective: To determine the usefulness of Silent MR angiography (MRA) for evaluating intracranial aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coil embolization. Materials and Methods: Ninety-nine patients (101 aneurysms) treated with stent-assisted coil embolization (Neuroform atlas, 71 cases; Enterprise, 17; LVIS Jr, 9; and Solitaire AB, 4 cases) underwent time-of-flight (TOF) MRA and Silent MRA in the same session using a 3T MRI system within 24 hours of embolization. Two radiologists independently interpreted both MRA images retrospectively and rated the image quality using a 5-point Likert scale. The image quality and diagnostic accuracy of the two modalities in the detection of aneurysm occlusion were further compared based on the stent design and the site of aneurysm. Results: The average image quality scores of the Silent MRA and TOF MRA were 4.38 ± 0.83 and 2.78 ± 1.04, respectively (p < 0.001), with an almost perfect interobserver agreement. Silent MRA had a significantly higher image quality score than TOF MRA at the distal internal carotid artery (n = 57, 4.25 ± 0.91 vs. 3.05 ± 1.16, p < 0.001), middle cerebral artery (n = 21, 4.57 ± 0.75 vs. 2.19 ± 0.68, p < 0.001), anterior cerebral artery (n = 13, 4.54 ± 0.66 vs. 2.46 ± 0.66, p < 0.001), and posterior circulation artery (n = 10, 4.50 ± 0.71 vs. 2.90 ± 0.74, p = 0.013). Silent MRA had superior image quality score to TOF MRA in the stented arteries when using Neuroform atlas (4.66 ± 0.53 vs. 3.21 ± 0.84, p < 0.001), Enterprise (3.29 ± 1.59 vs. 1.59 ± 0.51, p = 0.003), LVIS Jr (4.33 ± 1.89 vs. 1.89 ± 0.78, p = 0.033), and Solitaire AB stents (4.00 ± 2.25 vs. 2.25 ± 0.96, p = 0.356). The interpretation of the status of aneurysm occlusion exhibited significantly higher sensitivity with Silent MRA than with TOF MRA when using the Neuroform Atlas stent (96.4% vs. 14.3%, respectively, p < 0.001) and LVIS Jr stent (100% vs. 20%, respectively, p = 0.046). Conclusion: Silent MRA can be useful to evaluate aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coil embolization, regardless of the aneurysm location and type of stent used.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.148-152
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• 2016

The main goal was to evaluate effectiveness of a modified TSE sequence compared with DIR (double inversion recovery) sequence in acquisition of fast flow brain vessel images using signal void effect. 32 healthy volunteers (10 men and 22 women; mean age of 31 years; ranging between 28-43 years) who underwent black blood DIR sequence (group A) and the modified TSE sequence (group B) were enrolled in our study. Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR) of the internal carotid arteries' lumen were compared in T1 and T2 weighted images for both group A and B. The images obtained from group B showed lower SNR values in internal carotid artery than the group A in both of the T1 and T2 weighted images (11.49% and 13.66% respectively). While the CNR values were higher in the group B than the group A in both of the T1 and T2 weighted images (8.69% and 7.55 % respectively). The qualitative score of all categories were not significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore approximately 49% of the total scan time was reduced from group B. Our study is to shorten the scanning time and minimize the inconveniences of the patients in acquisition of the black blood images of brain by using the signal void effect in the modified TSE technique while keeping the diagnostic value of the test.

• 대한자기공명의과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한자기공명의과학회 2003년도 제8차 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.97-97
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• 2003

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) gradually occupies its position as a primary evaluation tool forsteno-occlusive disease of supra-aortic cervical arteries. It has several advantages over time-of-flight (TOF) technique such as shorter imaging time, less saturation effect, and less flow- and motion-related artifacts. Diverse methods of k-space sampling, imaging sequences, and strategies for image acquisitiontiming have been introduced since its early clinical application. Especially, methods of k-space sampling and image acquisition timing are very important to achieve maximal arterial enhancement and suppress venous signal while maintaining large scan coverage and high spatial resolution. In addition, regardless of several advantages over TOF technique, it still has a tendency to overestimate the degree of stenosis in patients with carotid or vertebralartery disease. In this exhibit, we will overview the current techniques of CE-MRA with special attention to methods of k-space sampling and image acquisition timing. We will also discuss diagnostic accuracy of CE-MRA in patients with supra-aortic cervical artery stenosis and artifacts frequently misinterpreted as steno-occlusive lesion on CE-MRA.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.207-213
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• 2005

경동맥 내중막 두께의 심각한 정도는 일과성 뇌 허혈, 중풍, 그리고 심근경색과 같은 관상동맥질환의 원인 질환이 되는 죽상동맥경화에 대한 독립적 예측인자이다 경동맥 내중막 두께는 내막두께와 중막두께로 구성되어 있지만, 내막과 중막 각각의 임상적 중요성에 대하여는 연구가 잘 되지 않고 있다. 본 연구에서는 죽상동맥경화증을 진단하기 위하여 B-mode 초음파 영상처리기술을 이용하여 내막, 중막, 그리고 내중막 두께를 측정하는 방법을 고안하였다. 내막, 중막, 내중막 두께의 임상적 중요성을 조사하기 위해서 144명(평균연령: 57세, 남성: 72명)의 환자를 대상으로 고해상도 초음파를 이용하여 총경동맥의 영상을 스캐닝 하였다. 그 결과, 죽상동맥경화성 질환이 있는 집단이 없는 집단에 비하여 내중막(p<0.01) 두께뿐만 아니라 내막(p<0.05) 및 중막(p<0.05)의 두께도 모두 유의하게 더 두꺼운 것으로 나타났다. 위험인자 중 고혈압이 있는 집단은 없는 집단에 비해 내막(p<0.01), 중막(p<0.001) 및 내중막(p<0.001) 두께 모두가 유의하게 더 두꺼웠고, 흡연을 하는 집단은 하지 않는 집단에 비해 내막의 두께만 유의하게 더 두꺼웠다(p<0.01). 내막(r=0.374, p=0.001), 중막(r=0.433, p=0.000) 및 내중막(r=0.479, p=0.000) 두께는 연령과 정적 상관관계(positive correlation)를 보였다. 두께들간의 공유설명량 ($r^2$) 평가결과는 내중막두께와 중막두께가 $92.4\%$, 내중막두께와 내막두께는 $49.1\%$, 그리고 내막두께와 중막두께는 $27.4\%$이었다. 이 결과는 경동맥의 내막과 중막은 서로 다른 생리현상을 갖는다는 것을 시사한다.