• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.155-161
• /
• 2017

Teeth and bones are highly mineralized tissues containing inorganic minerals such as calcium phosphate, and a growing number of evidences show that their mineral content is associated with many diseases. Although the quantification of mineral contents by micro-computed tomography(micro- CT) has been used in diagnosis and evaluation for treating bone diseases, its application for teeth diseases has not been well established. In this study, we attempted to estimate a usefulness of a high-resolution micro-CT in analysis of human teeth. The teeth were scanned by using the Skyscan 1172 micro-CT. In order to measure tooth mineral content, beam hardening effect of the machine was corrected with a radiopaque iodine-containing substance, iodoacetamide. Under the maximum resolution of $6.6{\mu}m$, X-ray densities in teeth and hydroxyapatite standards were obtained with Hounsfield unit (HU), and they were then converted to an absolute mineral concentration by a CT Analyzer software. In enamel layer of cusp area, the mean mineral concentration was about $2.14mg/mm^3$ and there was a constant mineral concentration gradient from the enamel surface to the dentinoenamel junction. In the dentin of middle 1/3 of tooth, the mean mineral concentration was approximately $1.27mg/mm^3$ and there was a constant mineral concentration gradient from the outer of root to the pulp side, ranging from 1.3 to $1.06mg/mm^3$. In decay region of dentin, the mineral content was gradually decreased from the intact inner side to the decayed surface. These results suggest that high-resolution micro-CT can be as a useful tool for non-invasive measurement of mineral concentration in teeth.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.119-126
• /
• 2007

MR (magnetic resonance) imaging of the brachial plexus is challenging because of the complex and tangled anatomy of the brachial plexus and the multifariouness of pathologies that can put on it. Improvements in imaging techniques, including the availability of high resolution MR image systems and high channels multidetector computed tomography (CT), have led to more accurate diagnoses and improved serve for treatment planning. For the purpose of imaging and treatment of the brachioplexopathy, it is considerate to divide traumatic and nontraumatic diseases affecting the brachial plexus. MRI is the current gold standard imaging modality for nontraumatic brachial plexopathy. CT myelography is the preferred for the diagnosis of nerve root avulsions affecting the brachial plexus. Other modalities, such as CT, ultrasonography and positron emission tomography, have a limited role in the evaluation of brachial plexus pathology. High-quality, high-resolution MRI remains the main tool for imaging the brachial plexopathy.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.19-26
• /
• 1993

Magnetic Resonance Image represents three-dimensional diagnostic imaging technique using both nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon and computer. Compared with computed tomography (CT), MRI have advantages harmless to patient's body, three-dimensional image with high resolution and disadvantages long data acquisition time because of long T1 relaxation time, relatively low signal to noise ratio, high cost of setting, also. As physiologic motion of tissue results in motion ghost in MRI, high 2.0Tesla make improve low signal to noise ratio. This study have aim to improve image quality with controling motion ghost of tissue. Supposing a moving pixel in constant frequency, one pixel make two ghosts which are same size and different anti-phase. So, this study will show adjust parameter on locational control of motion ghost. Author made moving phantom replaced by respiratory movement of human, researched change of motion frequency, FOV by location shift, and them decided optimal FOV (field of view). The results are as follows: 1. The frequency content of the motion determines how far the image always appear in phase-encoding direction, the morphology of the ghost image is characteristic of the direction of the motion and its amplitude. 2. Double FOV of fixed signal object for locational control of motion ghost is recommended. Decreasement of spatial resolution by increasing FOV can compensate on increasing of matrix in spite of scan time increasement.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.663-668
• /
• 2016

In single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) with a pixelated semiconductor detector (PSD), not only pinhole collimators but also parallel-hole collimators are often used in preclinical nuclear-medicine imaging systems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare pinhole and parallel-hole collimators in a PSD. For that purpose, we paired a PID 350 (Ajat Oy Ltd., Finland) CdTe PSD with each of the four collimators most frequently used in preclinical nuclear medicine: (1) a pinhole collimator, and (2) low-energy high-resolution (LEHR), (3) low-energy general-purpose (LEGP), and (4) low-energy high-sensitivity (LEHS) parallel-hole collimators. The sensitivity and spatial resolution of each collimator was evaluated using a point source and a hot-rod phantom. The highest sensitivity was achieved using LEHS, followed by LEGP, LEHR, and pinhole. Also, at a source-to-collimator distance of 2 cm, the spatial resolution was 1.63, 2.05, 2.79, and 3.45 mm using pinhole, LEHR, LEGP, and LEHS, respectively. The reconstructed hot-rod phantom images showed that the pinhole collimator and the LEHR parallel-hole collimator give a fine spatial resolution for preclinical SPECT with PSD. In conclusion, we successfully compared different types of collimators for a preclinical pixelated semiconductor SPECT system.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.1126-1134
• /
• 2017

A variety of medical service applications in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT) are being studied. Segmentation is important to identify meaningful regions in images and is also required in 3D images. Previous methods have been based on gray value and shape. The Visible Korean dataset consists of serially sectioned high-resolution color images. Unlike computed tomography or magnetic resonance images, automatic segmentation of color images is difficult because detecting an object's boundaries in colored images is very difficult compared to grayscale images. Therefore, skilled anatomists usually segment color images manually or semi-automatically. We present an out-of-core 3D segmentation method for large-scale image datasets. Our method can segment significant regions in the coronal and sagittal planes, as well as the axial plane, to produce a 3D image. Our system verifies the result interactively with a multi-planar reconstruction view and a 3D view. Our system can be used to train unskilled anatomists and medical students. It is also possible for a skilled anatomist to segment an image remotely since it is difficult to transfer such large amounts of data.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.341-350
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The use of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scans in biomedical and dental research is growing rapidly. This study aimed to explore the scientific literature on approaches and applications of micro-CT in restorative dentistry. Materials and Methods: An electronic search of publications from January 2009 to March 2021 was conducted using ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The search included only English-language articles. Therefore, only studies that addressed recent advances and the potential uses of micro-CT in restorative and preventive dentistry were selected. Results: Micro-CT is a tool that enables 3-dimensional imaging on a small scale with very high resolution. In this method, there is no need for sample preparation or slicing. Therefore, it is possible to examine the internal structure of tissue and the internal adaptation of materials to surfaces without destroying them. Due to these advantages, micro-CT has been recommended as a standard imaging tool in dental research for many applications such as tissue engineering, endodontics, restorative dentistry, and research on the mineral density of hard tissues and bone growth. However, the high costs of micro-CT, the time necessary for scanning and reconstruction, computer expertise requirements, and the enormous volume of information are drawbacks. Conclusion: The potential of micro-CT as an emerging, accurate, non-destructive approach is clear, and the valuable research findings reported in the literature provide an impetus for researchers to perform future studies focusing on employing this method in dental research.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.257-263
• /
• 2019

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the dimensional accuracy of digital dental models constructed from cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) scans of polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) impressions and cast scan models. Materials and Methods: A pair of PVS impressions was obtained from 20 subjects and scanned using CBCT (resolution, 0.1 mm). A cast scan model was constructed by scanning the gypsum model using a model scanner. After reconstruction of the digital models, the mesio-distal width of each tooth, inter-canine width, and inter-molar width were measured, and the Bolton ratios were calculated and compared. The 2 models were superimposed and the difference between the models was measured using 3-dimensional analysis. Results: The range of mean error between the cast scan model and the CBCT scan model was -0.15 mm to 0.13 mm in the mesio-distal width of the teeth and 0.03 mm to 0.42 mm in the width analysis. The differences in the Bolton ratios between the cast scan models and CBCT scan models were 0.87 (anterior ratio) and 0.72 (overall ratio), with no significant difference (P>0.05). The mean maxillary and mandibular difference when the cast scan model and the CBCT scan model were superimposed was 53 ㎛. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference in most of the measurements. The maximum tooth size difference was 0.15mm, and the average difference in model overlap was 53 ㎛. Digital models produced by scanning impressions at a high resolution using CBCT can be used in clinical practice.

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

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.78 no.3
• /
• pp.203-209
• /
• 2015

Background: Induced sputum (IS) has been used to collect airway secretions in subjects who have inadequate sputum production. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of IS for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in adults unable to expectorate sputum. Methods: Medical records of 39 PTB patients who underwent IS due to absence of spontaneous sputum production between January 2011 and March 2014 at a tertiary hospital in South Korea were reviewed. Results of acid fast bacilli smear, Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and polymerase chain reaction assay for M. tuberculosis (TB-PCR) of IS specimens from these patients were analyzed. Clinical and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) characteristics were also analyzed to find characteristics associated with IS culture positivity. Results: Of the 39 IS specimens from PTB patients, 7 (17.9%) were smear positive and 31 (79.5%) were culture positive. Twenty-four IS specimens were tested for TB-PCR and 13 (54.2%) were positive on TB-PCR. Multivariate analysis showed that younger age (p=0.04) and presence of tree-in-bud appearance on HRCT (p=0.03) were independent predictors of IS culture positivity. Conclusion: IS is useful for the diagnosis of PTB in adults unable to expectorate sputum. Younger age and tree-in-bud appearance on HRCT were associated with IS culture positivity in these patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.83 no.2
• /
• pp.122-131
• /
• 2020

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP) one of the most common interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) is characterized by exposure to an inhaled inciting antigen that leads to a host immunologic reaction determining interstitial inflammation and architectural distortion. The underlying pathogenetic mechanisms are unclear. The absence of international shared diagnostic guidelines and the lack of a "gold-standard" test for HP combined with the presence of several clinical and radiologic overlapping features makes it particularly challenging to differentiate HP from other ILDs, also in expert contests. Radiology is playing a more crucial role in this process; recently the headcheese sign was recognized as a more specific for chronic-HP than the extensive mosaic attenuation. Several classification proposals and diagnostic models have been advanced by different groups, with no prospective validation. Therapeutic options for HP have been limited to antigen avoidance and immunosuppressant drugs over the last decades. Several questions about this condition remain unanswered and there is a need for more studies.