• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
• /
• 제28권1호
• /
• pp.95-101
• /
• 2007

Recently, small-animal imaging technology has been rapidly developed for longitudinal screening of laboratory animals such as mice and rats. One of newly developed imaging modalities for small animals is an x-ray micro-CT (computed tomography). We have developed two types of x-ray micro-CT systems for small animal imaging. Both systems use flat-panel x-ray detectors and micro-focus x-ray sources to obtain high spatial resolution of $10{\mu}m$. In spite of the relatively large field-of-view (FOV) of flat-panel detectors, the spatial resolution in the whole-body imaging of rats should be sacrificed down to the order of $100{\mu}m$ due to the limited number of x-ray detector pixels. Though the spatial resolution of cone-beam CTs can be improved by moving an object toward an x-ray source, the FOV should be reduced and the object size is also limited. To overcome the limitation of the object size and resolution, we introduce zoom-in micro-tomography for high-resolution imaging of a local region-of-interest (ROI) inside a large object. For zoom-in imaging, we use two kinds of projection data in combination, one from a full FOV scan of the whole object and the other from a limited FOV scan of the ROI. Both of our micro-CT systems have zoom-in micro-tomography capability. One of both is a micro-CT system with a fixed gantry mounted with an x-ray source and a detector. An imaged object is laid on a rotating table between a source and a detector. The other micro-CT system has a rotating gantry with a fixed object table, which makes whole scans without rotating an object. In this paper, we report the results of in vivo small animal study using the developed micro-CTs.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• 제36권6호
• /
• pp.13-22
• /
• 2008

보드의 기계적 성질에 영향을 미치는 공극에 대하여 공극을 두가지로 분류하고 밀도에 따른 오에스비의 내부 공극구조의 특성에 대하여 살펴보고자 하였다. 스트랜드보드의 내부공극을 X-ray 단층촬영기로 측정하고 이미지분석 소프트웨어를 사용하여 밀도에 따른 공극의 분포와 공극의 함유량을 조사하였다. 측정 전에 보드의 밀도를 밀도측정기와 전건법으로 측정하였으며 이 두 방법에 의해 측정된 결과는 아주 높은 상관관계를 보여주었다. X-ray를 서로 다른 배율로 조사하여 획득한 이미지를 바탕으로 분석한 결과, 저해상도에서는 스트랜드간의 공극(macro-void)의 측정이 가능하나 스트랜드내의 미세공극(micro-void)은 이미지획득이 불가능하였다. 중해상도에서는 두가지 형태 모두의 이미지 획득이 가능하였고, 고해상도에서는 대부분의 미세공극 이미지의 획득이 가능하였다. 저배율을 채택하여 스트랜드간의 공극을 측정하고 스트랜드내의 미세공극은 관련식을 이용하여 추정하였다. 이를 통해 보드내부에 존재하는 스트랜드간의 공극분포를 파악할 수 있었으며 그 공극의 함유비율을 정확하게 산정할 수 있었다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제54권9호
• /
• pp.3380-3389
• /
• 2022

We evaluated the performance of an improved hybrid median filter (IHMF) applied to X-ray computed tomography (CT) images obtained using a high-resolution photon-counting cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector. To study how the proposed approach improves the image quality, we measured the noise levels and the overall CT-image quality. We established a CZT imaging system with a detector length of 5.12 cm and thickness of 0.3 cm and acquired phantom images. To evaluate the efficacy of the proposed filter, we first modeled two conventional median filters. Subsequently, we were able to achieve a normalized noise power spectrum result of ~10^-8 mm², and furthermore, the proposed method improved the contrast-to-noise ratio by a factor of ~1.51 and the coefficient of variation by 1.55 relative to the counterpart values of the no-filter image. In addition, the IHMF exhibited the best performance among the three filters considered as regards the peak signal-to-noise ratio and no-reference-based image-quality evaluation parameters. Thus, our results demonstrate that the IHMF approach provides a superior image performance over conventional median filtering methods when applied to actual CZT X-ray CT images.

• 대한치과의사협회지
• /
• 제50권4호
• /
• pp.180-188
• /
• 2012

Cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) machines recently developed in Korea, being designed for imaging hard tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. I reported a brief overview of CBCT system, in comparison with coventional computed tomography(CT) system. CBCT provides high resolution, simpler image acquisition, lower dose and cost alternative to conventional CT, promising to revolutionize the practice of oral and maxillofacial radiology.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• 제36권3호
• /
• pp.123-129
• /
• 2006

The use of computed tomography for dental procedures has increased recently. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems have been designed for imaging hard tissues of the dentomaxillofacial region. CBCT is capable of providing high resolution in images of high diagnostic quality. This technology allows for 3-dimensional representation of the dentomaxillofacial skeleton with minimal distortion, but at lower equipment cost, simpler image acquisition and lower patient dose. Because this technology produces images with isotropic sub-millimeter spatial resolution, it is ideally suited for dedicated dentomaxillofacial imaging. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of cone beam scanning technology and compare it with the fan beam scanning used in conventional CT and the basic principles of currently available CBCT systems.

• 터널과지하공간
• /
• 제19권6호
• /
• pp.545-557
• /
• 2009

단계별 손상에 따른 취성재료의 동적손상메커니즘을 파악하고자 국내암석을 대상으로 스플릿 홉킨슨 압력바 시스템을 이용한 단계적 충격하중실험을 수행하였다. 실험시료 내 동적손상을 평가하기 위하여 고해상도 X-ray 단층촬영 시스템을 적용하였다. 그 결과 낮은 충격하중에서는 시료 내 전반적으로 축방향 균열 즉 수직균열이 발생하지만, 충격속도가 증가함에 따라 시료와 입사바 또는 전달바와의 접촉면에 구속효과가 발생하여 입사바와의 접촉면 중심부에 균열이 사라지는 경향을 보였다. 그러나 구속력을 적게 받는 시료의 원주표면 부근에서는 박리균열을 보였다.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
• /
• 제25권2호
• /
• pp.97-102
• /
• 2004

소 동물 촬영에 이용될 수 있는 고해상도의 x-선 cone-beam micro computed tomography (micro-CT) 시스템을 개발하였다 Micro-CT 시스템은 120${\times}$120 mm2 의 2차원 평판 x-선 감지기, micro-focus x-선 발생장치, 주사 기구부, 병렬처리 영상 재구성 시스템으로 이루어져 있다. 개발된 시스템의 성능을 평가하기 위해 대조도와 공간해상도를 측정하였다. 대조도 실험에서는 95 mGy 에서 36 CT-번호를 구별할 수 있음을 확인하였고, 공간 해상도 실험에서는 14 lp/mm 의 성능을 확인하였다. 소 동물 촬영 결과로 실험용 쥐의 대퇴부, 심장 그리고 복부 동맥 혈관을 촬영한 경상을 제시하였다. 개발된 micro-CT 시스템은 소 동물을 이용한 생명공학 분야 연구에 널리 이용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• 제23권9호
• /
• pp.854-865
• /
• 2022

Photon-counting detector (PCD) CT is a new CT technology utilizing a direct conversion X-ray detector, where incident X-ray photon energies are directly recorded as electronical signals. The design of the photon-counting detector itself facilitates improvements in spatial resolution (via smaller detector pixel design) and iodine signal (via count weighting) while still permitting multi-energy imaging. PCD-CT can eliminate electronic noise and reduce artifacts due to the use of energy thresholds. Improved dose efficiency is important for low dose CT and pediatric imaging. The ultra-high spatial resolution of PCD-CT design permits lower dose scanning for all body regions and is particularly helpful in identifying important imaging findings in thoracic and musculoskeletal CT. Improved iodine signal may be helpful for low contrast tasks in abdominal imaging. Virtual monoenergetic images and material classification will assist with numerous diagnostic tasks in abdominal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular imaging. Dual-source PCD-CT permits multi-energy CT images of the heart and coronary arteries at high temporal resolution. In this special review article, we review the clinical benefits of this technology across a wide variety of radiological subspecialties.

• 한국방사선학회논문지
• /
• 제10권1호
• /
• pp.45-51
• /
• 2016

본 연구에서는 비등방성 2차원 확산 기반 필터를 이용하여 전산화단층영상(computed tomography, CT)의 노이즈 제거와 공간분해능을 향상하고자 하였다. 실험은 4-채널 다중검출기 전산화단층영상기기(4-channel multi-detector computed tomography, MDCT)를 이용하였으며, CT 영상품질 평가를 위해 미국 의학물리학자협의회(american association of physicists in medicine, AAPM) CT 성능 평가용 팬톰을 사용하였다. X-선 조사 조건은 120 kVp, 100 mAs로 고정한 후 ultra-high resolution으로 10 mm 축 방향 스캔 하였다. 본 연구에서 제안한 비등방성 2차원 확산 기반 필터는 원 영상에 각 픽셀에 가중치 1.2를 곱하고 0.4% 히스토그램 스트레칭을 통해 영상의 대조도를 증가시킨 후 비등방성 2차원 확산 필터를 적용하였다. 그 결과, 공간분해능은 원 영상에서 0.75 mm까지 구분되었지만 제안한 비등방성 2차원 확산 기반 필터 영상에서는 0.40 mm까지 구분되었다. 원 영상의 노이즈는 46.0, 제안한 비등방성 2차원 확산 기반 필터 영상의 노이즈는 33.5로 27.2%가 감소하였다. 우리가 제안한 비등방성 2차원 확산 기반 필터는 CT의 노이즈 제거와 공간분해능을 향상시킬 수 있었다.

• 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국환경농학회 2011년도 30주년 정기총회 및 국제심포지엄
• /
• pp.207-222
• /
• 2011

Relationships between soil saturated hydraulic conductivity ($K_s$) and porosity (${\phi}$) have been developed over many years; however, use of these relationships for evaluating rain-induced seals is limited mainly because of difficulties in estimating seal pore-size characteristics. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the $K_s$ of soil surface seals over a range of thicknesses, where seal thickness was determined using a High-Resolution-Computed-Tomography (HRCT) scanner, and to investigate relationships between $K_s$ and ${\phi}$ of developing seals in samples with equivalent diameters (e.d.) ${\geq}15\;{\mu}m$. A Mexico silt loam soil was packed to a bulk density (${\rho}_b$) of $1.1\;Mg\;m^{-3}$ in cylinders 160-mm i.d. by 160-mm long and subjected to $61-mm\;h^{-1}$ simulated rainfall having a kinetic energy (KE) of $25\;J\;m^{-2}\;min^{-1}$ for 7.5, 15, 30, and 60 min to create a range in seal development. Thicknesses of the seal layers were determined by analysis of HRCT images of seals. The $K_s$ values of the seals were estimated using an effective $K_s$ value ($K_{s-eff}$). The $K_s-{\phi}$ relationship was described by a Kozeny and Carmen equation, $K_s=B{\phi}^n$; where B and n are empirical constants and n = 31. This approach explained 86% of the variation between $K_s$ and ${\phi}$ within the soil seals. Knowledge of surface seal information and hydraulic conductivity can provide useful information to use in management of sites prone to sealing formation.