• Journal of KIISE:Computing Practices and Letters
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.598-606
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• 2002

We suggest a distributed communication and management methodology using PC to PC Query multicasting strategy for efficient management of medical images produced by DICOM(Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) Modalities. It is absolutely necessary to reduce strict degradation of PACS system due to large sire of medical images and their very high transport rates. DICOM PC to PC Component is composed of a Service Manager to execute requested queries, a Communication Manager to take charge of file transmission, and a DICOM Manager to manage stored data and system behavior Each Manager itself is a component to search for requested file by interaction or to transmit the file to other PCs. Distributed management and transformation of medical information based on PC to PC Query multicasting methodology will enhance performance of central server and network capacity, reducing overload on both. We organize three major components for system operation. Each component is implemented as Agent. Communication between agents uses XML encoded Agent Communication Language.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2003

Purpose : To evaluate the relationship between morphometric analysis of bone microstructure from digital radiographic image and trabecular bone strength. Materials and Methods : One hundred eleven bone specimens with 5 mm thickness were obtained from the mandibles of 5 pigs. Digital images of specimens were taken using a direct digital intraoral radiographic system. After selection of ROI (100 × 100 pixel) within the trabecular bone, mean gray level and standard deviation were obtained. Fractal dimension and the variants of morphometric analysis (trabecular area, periphery, length of skeletonized trabeculae, number of terminal point, number of branch point) were obtained from ROI. Punch sheer strength analysis was performed using Instron (model 4465, Instron Corp., USA). The loading force (loading speed 1 mm/min) was applied to ROI of bone specimen by a 2 mm diameter punch. Stress-deformation curve was obtained from the punch sheer strength analysis and maximum stress, yield stress, Young's modulus were measured. Results: Maximum stress had a negative linear correlation with mean gray level and fractal dimension significantly (p<0.05). Yield stress had a negative linear correlation with mean gray level, periphery, fractal dimension and the length of skeletonized trabeculae significantly (p < 0.05). Young's modulus had a negative linear correlation with mean gray level and fractal dimension significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusions : The strength of cancellous bone exhibited a significantly linear relationship between mean gray level, fractal dimension and morphometric analysis. The methods described above can be easily used to evaluate bone quality clinically.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to survey a development of the wireless transmission system of medical images for ubiquitous medicine. There have been many changes in medical equipments and medical record medical treatment and medical record within hospital and PACS(Picture Archiving Communication System) which is picture management system for patients can be typical cases. It is difficult to use these automated medical systems unless they are within hospital and in case of rapid image reading in the emergency cases or in absence of doctor, it is difficult to perform it immediately. The present study implemented an image transmission system using CDMA connection so that images in the server can be viewed at any time and in any place. Remote wireless diagnosis based on medical images using PDA is applicable to medical areas that require mobility, and the use of PDA can be an ideal alternative for point of care. The use of PDA enables prompt and accurate access to digital medical images, which in turn reduces medical accidents and improves the quality of medical services through high productivity and efficiency of medical practitioners' works. It also enables quick response to patients' demands and high-quality medical services and, consequently, patients' high satisfaction.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.279-285
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• 1998

Exessive sweating of the palms and soles, is a psychologically and occupationally distressing and sometimes disabling condition. Hyperhidrosis is one of the common abnormalities in autonomic nervous system. There were no specific treatment on hyperhidrosis, so invasive thoracic sympathectomy via axillary thoracotomy or cervical approach had been used. Video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) is now mostly performed for treating of the palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis. From March 1996 to March 1997, 15 patients with bilateral palmar hyperhidrosis had been treated by the bilateral thoracic sympathectomy(T2, T3, T4) with thoracoscopic resection. The patient were evaluated preoperative and postoperative Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging (DITI) at Kyung-Hee University Hospital. There were no case of the thoracotomy conversion. There were 3 complications ; pulmonary edema in 1 case, Horner's syndrome in 1 case, and gustatory hyperhidrosis in 1 case. More than half of the patients also had compensatory sweating in the lower abdomen, the buttocks, the back and the thighs. In conclusion, most of the patients were satisfied with the postoperative results of the thoracoscopic sympathectomy, including no more palmar and axillary sweating, less pain, better cosmetic appearances, decreased sweating of the face and soles. In addition, intraoperative temperature monitoring of the hands could estimate the successful thoracoscopic sympathectomy and the preoperative and postoperative Digital infrared thermographic imaging(DITI) could especially be the technique for the objective manifestation of the successful results of the thoracoscopic sympathectomy.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

Purpose : The Carotid Angio inspection including Aortic arch applied to wide area is conducted as the Contrast Enhance MR Angiography(CEA) which is using a contrast medium. However it is a burden not only for someone such as infants, pregnant women and patients suffering from kidney failure but continuous use of contrast medium also can be a burden for patients who has been taken follow up inspection since diagnose lesion already. The purpose of this study is to estimate a usefulness of the Time of Flight (TOF) by comparing with CEA. Materials and methods : 10 patients with an average age of 58 (from 45 to 75) who had MRA inspection in our hospital were studied using 3.0 Tesla Aachieva (Philips, Netherland) MRI system and Sense Neuro-Vascular 16 Channels Coil. The same patient was inspected both TOF and CEA simultaneously. The TOF inspection included from Aortic arch to Willis Circle by connecting 3 TOF stacks and so did CEA inspection. The quantitative analysis was conducted through signal to noise ratio(SNR) and contrast to noise ratio(CNR) with soft tissue by setting up an area of interest on CCA bifurcatoin, ICA, ECA, MCA and VA concerning obtained image. In case of qualitative analysis, 3 radiological technologists and 1 radiologist evaluated 4 items (1: Visibility of the blood vessel, 2: Image distortion measure, 3: Overlapping measure with vein, 4: Peripheral blood vessel description measure) into five points scale (1: Very bad, 2: Bad, 3: Normal 4: Good, 5: Very good). Results : Results for the quantitative analysis was obtained by calculating the average of 5 ROIs in case of SNR and CNR separately. Results of SNR, TOF were generally measured higher than CEA (In case of TOF were 166.1, 205.2, 154.39, 172.23, 161.95, and CEA were 92.05, 95.43, 84.76, 73.69, 88.3). But according to the result of CNR, both TOF and CEA were measured similarly as 67.62, 106.71, 55.9, 73.74, 63.46 for TOF and 67.82, 71.19, 60.52, 49.45, 64.07 for CEA. Throughout every results of each ROI, SNR showed statistically meaningful consequence (0.050.05). In case of qualitative analysis the average of each evaluated item was 4.2points and 4.28points in the item1, 2.93points and 4.55points in the item2, 4.6points and 3.13points in the item3, 2.88points and 4.6points in the item4. According to the results TOF was measured higher in the item3 while in the item2 and item4 CEA was higher and in case of the item1, both CEA and TOF were similar. To sum up statistically meaningful results (p<0.05) were shown in the item2, item3 and item4 but not in the item1 (p>0.05). Conclusions : Both TOF and CEA are complementary because each inspection has pros and cons, but when inspect wide area including Aortic arch normally CEA is conducted. But TOF inspection also can be considered as alternative in terms of patients who has difficulty in the contrast medium such as infants, pregnant women and patients suffering from kidney failure and patients during follow up.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.39-46
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• 2012

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to reduce Entrance Surface Dose and maintain image quality by changing Source to Image receptor Distance. And we'd like to compare ESD on this study to DRLs in other contries. Materials and Methods : We used indirect DR system(Definium 8000, General Electric, USA)and phantom(ART-200X, Flukebiomedical, USA),glass dosimeters(GD-352M, Asahi Techno Glass, Japan)for this study. The imagies were obtained throuh 80kVp fixed, and different tube currents using AEC mode in $16{\times}16$(inch) field size and changing Source to Image receptor Distance from 100 cm to 130 cm per 10 cm unit. The phantom with attaching 5 glass dosimeters on abdomonal skin was set at supine and erect position as a anterioposterial projection on detector For measuring Entrance Surface Dose. Image analysis was conducted by histograms of Image J(1.46r) which was given from National Institutes of Health(NIH). Results : Due to inverse square law of distance, the tube currents were increasing 42.6 % in supine position and 32.6 % in erect position according to the change of Source to Image receptor Distance. While Entrance Surface Doses were rapidly decreasing 14.2 % in supine position and 29.4 % in erect position according to the change of Source to Image receptor Distance. As the results of histogram using Image J, pixel mean values from 100 cm to 110 cm, 120 cm and 130 cm were decreasing each 1.4%, 2.5%, 2.7%, 4.5%, 2.2 %, 5.8 % in supine, erect position. While standard deviations from 100 cm to 110 cm, 120 cm and 130 cm were increasing each 1.4 %, 2.5 %, 2.5 %, 4.0 %, 2.0 %, 4.9 % Consequently, there are no significant differences in abdomen images taken. Conclusion: As the results described above, we strongly recommend using long Sourceto Image receptor Distance than 100cm that we have been using. So, we should deliver less Entrance Surface Dose to the patients while maintaining image quality in abdomen radiography.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2015

Purpose: Contrast, sharpness, enhancement, and density can be changed in digital systems. The important question is to what extent the changes in these variables affect the accuracy of caries detection. Materials and Methods: Forty eight extracted human posterior teeth with healthy or proximal caries surfaces were imaged using a photostimulable phosphor (PSP) sensor. All original images were processed using a six-step method: (1) applying "Sharpening 2" and "Noise Reduction" processing options to the original images; (2) applying the "Magnification 1:3" option to the image obtained in the first step; (3) enhancing the original images by using the "Diagonal/"option; (4) reviewing the changes brought about by the third step of image processing and then, applying "Magnification 1:3"; (5) applying "Sharpening UM" to the original images; and (6) analyzing the changes brought about by the fifth step of image processing, and finally, applying "Magnification 1:3." Three observers evaluated the images. The tooth sections were evaluated histologically as the gold standard. The diagnostic accuracy of the observers was compared using a chi-squared test. Results: The accuracy levels irrespective of the image processing method ranged from weak (18.8%) to intermediate (54.2%), but the highest accuracy was achieved at the sixth image processing step. The overall diagnostic accuracy level showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.0001). Conclusion: This study shows that the application of "Sharpening UM" along with the "Magnification 1:3" processing option improved the diagnostic accuracy and the observer agreement more effectively than the other processing procedures.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.457-462
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to compare image quality of indirect digital radiography (IDR) system using the International Electro-technical Commission standard (IEC 62220-1), and to suggest the analysis of noise power spectrum (NPS) which were applied to IEC 62220-1 in medical imaging. In this study, Pixium 4600 (Trixell, France) which is indirect flat panel detector (FPD) was used. The size of image receptor (IR) is $7{\times}17$ inch (matrix $3001{\times}3001$) which performed 14bit processing and pixel pitch is $143{\mu}m$. In IEC standard, NPS evaluation were applied to RQA3, RQA5, RQA7 and RQA9. Because of different radiation quality, each region of interesting (ROI) were compared. The results of NPS indicated up to $3.5mm^{-1}$ including low Nyquist frequency. RQA5 indicated the lowest NPS and the others indicated higher NPS results relatively. NPS result of ROI a38 was higher than ROI a92 and this result indicated that there are more noise in left (cathode) than right (anode). This study were to evaluate NPS by using different radiation quality and setting the each ROI, and to suggest the quantitative methods of measuring NPS.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.265-274
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• 2000

Purpose: The aims of the present study are to determine the optimum compression rate in terms of file size reduction and diagnostic quality of the images after compression and evaluate the transmission speed of original or each compressed image. Materials and Methods: The material consisted of 24 extracted human premolars and molars. The occlusal surfaces and proximal surfaces of the teeth had a clinical disease spectrum that ranged from sound to varying degrees of fissure discoloration and cavitation. The images from Digora system were exported in TIFF and the images from conventional intraoral film were scanned and digitalized in TIFF by Nikon SF-200 scanner (Nikon, Japan). And six compression factors were chosen and applied on the basis of the results from a pilot study. The total number of images to be assessed were 336. Three radiologists assessed the occlusal and proximal surfaces of the teeth with 5-rank scale. Finally diagnosed as either sound or carious lesion by one expert oral pathologist. And sensitivity, specificity and k value for diagnostic agreement was calculated. Also the area (Az) values under the ROC curve were calculated and paired t-test and oneway ANOVA test was performed. Thereafter, transmission time of the image files of the each compression level was compared with that of the original image files. Results: No significant difference was found between original and the corresponding images up to 7% (1 : 14) compression ratio for both the occlusal and proximal caries (p<0.05). JPEG3 (1 : 14) image files are transmitted fast more than 10 times, maintained diagnostic information in image, compared with original image files. Conclusion: 1 : 14 compressed image file may be used instead of the original image and reduce storage needs and transmission time.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2011

In this paper, an image quality evaluation of amorphous selenium based x-ray system was performed using modulation transfer function (MTF) measurement. MTF as a main factor of imaging quality evaluation was investigated by contrast method from acquired test pattern image. The MTF value was measured to 36.1% at 3.0 lp/mm which is twice as high as that in the film image. Compared with other studies, the results demonstrate that amorphous selenium based x-ray detector is clinically meaningful.