• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.252-260
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• 2012

The reduction of radiation dose from x-ray is a main concern in computed tomography (CT) imaging due to the side-effect of the dose on human body. Recently, the various methods for dose reduction have been studied in CT and one of the method is a iterative reconstruction based on total variation (TV) minimization at few-views data. In this paper, we evaluated the image quality between total variation (TV) minimization algorithm and Feldkam-Davis-kress (FDK) algorithm in micro computed tomography (CT). To evaluate the effect of TV minimization algorithm, we produced a cylindrical phantom including contrast media, water, air inserts. We can acquire maximum 400 projection views per rotation of the x-ray tube and detector. 20, 50, 90, 180 projection data were chosen for evaluating the level of image restoration by TV minimization. The phantom and mouse image reconstructed with FDK algorithm at 400 projection data used as a reference image for comparing with TV minimization and FDK algorithm at few-views. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), Universal quality index (UQI) were used as a image evaluation metric. When projection data are not insufficient, our results show that the image quality of reconstructed with TV minimization is similar to reconstructed image with FDK at 400 view. In the cylindrical phantom study, the CNR of TV image was 5.86, FDK image was 5.65 and FDK-reference was 5.98 at 90-views. The CNR of TV image 0.21 higher than FDK image CNR at 90-views. UQI of TV image was 0.99 and FDK image was 0.81 at 90-views. where, the number of projection is 90, the UQI of TV image 0.18 higher than FDK image at 90-views. In the mouse study UQI of TV image was 0.91, FDK was 0.83 at 90-views. the UQI of TV image 0.08 higher than FDK image at 90-views. In cylindrical phantom image and mouse image study, TV minimization algorithm shows the best performance in artifact reduction and preserving edges at few view data. Therefore, TV minimization can potentially be expected to reduce patient dose in clinics.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.160-167
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• 2015

Radiation exposure from medical diagnostic imaging procedures to patients is one of the most significant interests in diagnostic x-ray system. A miniature x-ray intraoral tube was developed for the first time in the world which can be inserted into the mouth for imaging. Dose evaluation should be carried out in order to utilize such an imaging device for clinical use. In this study, dose evaluation of the new x-ray unit was performed by 1) using a custom made in vivo Pig phantom, 2) determining exposure condition for the clinical use, and 3) measuring patient dose of the new system. On the basis of DRLs (Diagnostic Reference Level) recommended by KDFA (Korea Food & Drug Administration), the ESD (Entrance Skin Dose) and DAP (Dose Area Product) measurements for the new x-ray imaging device were designed and measured. The maximum voltage and current of the x-ray tubes used in this study were 55 kVp, and 300 mA. The active area of the detector was $72{\times}72mm$ with pixel size of $48{\mu}m$. To obtain the operating condition of the new system, pig jaw phantom images showing major tooth-associated tissues, such as clown, pulp cavity were acquired at 1 frame/sec. Changing the beam currents 20 to $80{\mu}A$, x-ray images of 50 frames were obtained for one beam current with optimum x-ray exposure setting. Pig jaw phantom images were acquired from two commercial x-ray imaging units and compared to the new x-ray device: CS 2100, Carestream Dental LLC and EXARO, HIOSSEN, Inc. Their exposure conditions were 60 kV, 7 mA, and 60 kV, 2 mA, respectively. Comparing the new x-ray device and conventional x-ray imaging units, images of the new x-ray device around teeth and their neighboring tissues turn out to be better in spite of its small x-ray field size. ESD of the new x-ray device was measured 1.369 mGy on the beam condition for the best image quality, 0.051 mAs, which is much less than DRLs recommended by IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and KDFA, both. Its dose distribution in the x-ray field size was observed to be uniform with standard deviation of 5~10 %. DAP of the new x-ray device was $82.4mGy*cm^2$ less than DRL established by KDFA even though its x-ray field size was small. This study shows that the new x-ray imaging device offers better in image quality and lower radiation dose compared to the conventional intraoral units. In additions, methods and know-how for studies in x-ray features could be accumulated from this work.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.492-498
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• 2012

In this study, hydrodynamics such as solid circulation rate and voidage in the desulfurizer and the reaction characteristics of Zn-based solid sorbents were investigated using lab-scale high pressure and high temperature desulfurization process. The continuous HGD (Hot Gas Desulfurization) process consist of a fast fluidized bed type desulfurizer (6.2 m tall pipe of 0.015 m i.d), a bubbling fluidized bed type regenerator (1.6 m tall bed of 0.053 m i.d), a loop-seal and the pressure control valves. The solid circulation rate was measured by varying the slide-gate opening positions, the gas velocities and temperatures of the desulfurizer and the voidage in the desulfurizer was derived by the same way. At the same gas velocities and the same opening positions of the slide gate, the solid circulation rate, which was similar at the temperature of $300^{\circ}C$ and $550^{\circ}C$, was low at those temperatures compared with a room temperature. The voidage in the desulfurizer showed a fast fluidized bed type when the opening positions of the slide gate were 10~20% while that showed a turbulent fluidized bed type when those of slide gate were 30~40%. The reaction characteristics of Zn-based solid sorbent were investigated by different desulfurization temperatures at 20 atm in the continuous operation. The $H_2S$ removal efficiency tended to decrease below the desulfurization temperature of $450^{\circ}C$. Thus, the 10 hour continuous operation has been performed at the desulfurization temperature of $500^{\circ}C$ in order to maintain the high $H_2S$ removal efficiency. During 10 hour continuous operation, the $H_2S$ removal efficiency was above 99.99% because the $H_2S$ concentration after desulfurization was not detected at the inlet $H_2S$ concentration of 5,000 ppmv condition using UV analyzers (Radas2) and the detector tube (GASTEC) which lower detection limit is 1 ppmv.