• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.585-595
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• 2020

Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) has become an important technique for examining changes in human brain structure with neurological disorders. Brain development is a very complex process, and is affected by neurogenesiss and genetic programs. As age increases, structures of the brain change, which can contribute to the formation of brain diseases. Among the various factors, Gender is one of the greatest influential factors that affect the development of a healthy brain. The images were analyzed through various programs found in FSL such as SIENAX, FIRST, and Vertex analysis. Our results show that significant gender-related differences in subcortical areas were observed at the particular age group. The magnitude of these differences between gender and volume varied depending on the area investigated. In this study, we used more advanced 3T MRI for the structural analysis of subcortical structures between each gender. In addition, Vertex Analysis was used to visualize the volumetric differences in subcortical structures between each gender. This study is limited to groups in their 70s, therefore, further studies are needed for wider age groups.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.1133-1138
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• 2023

This study analyzed the relationship between image parameters and specific absorption rate (SAR) in various sequence environments to optimize SAR. For this purpose, image parameters were adjusted for T2, T1, STIR, T1 FLAIR, and T2 FLAIR sequences in a 3.0T MRI, and the whole body (WB) SAR and head SAR calculated by the device were measured. Then, the SAR was evaluated by adjusting the number of images and the flip angle (FA) of the refocusing RF. As a result, SAR increased as the number of image increased in all sequences. T1 and T1 FLAIR had correlation coefficients (r) of 0.876, 0.876 (WB SAR, head SAR), 0.867, 0.867 (WB SAR, head SAR), respectively, and STIR had the highest correlation with 0.898 and 0.899 (WB SAR, head SAR). showed (p<0.05). When applied by increasing the refocusing FA, WB SAR and head SAR increased overall in all sequences. The T1 and T2 sequences showed high correlation with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.897, 0.898 (WB SAR, head SAR) and 0.914, 0.915 (WB SAR, head SAR), respectively, while the sequences to which the inversion recovery technique was applied had relatively low FA, showed less sensitivity to increase. Therefore, in a sequence with a relatively low TR, minimizing the number of image and applying the fast spin echo to reduce the refocusing FA in a sequence with a high duty cycle are effective in reducing SAR.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2012

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) techniques are widely used in diagnosis of vascular disorders such as hemadostenosis and aneurism. Especially, phase contrast (PC) MRA technique, which is a typical non contrast-enhanced MRA technique, provides not only the anatomy of blood vessels but also flow velocity. In this study, we developed the 2- and 3-dimensional PC MRA pulse sequences for a low magnetic field MRI system. Vessel images were acquired using 2D and 3D PC MRA and the velocities of the blood flow were measured in the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus and the confluence of the two. The 2D PC MRA provided the good quality of vascular images for large vessels but the poor quality for small ones. Although 3D PC MRA gave more improved visualization of small vessels than 2D PC MRA, the image quality was not enough to be used for diagnosis of the small vessels due to the low SNR and field homogeneity of the low field MRI system. The measured blood velocities were $25.46{\pm}0.73cm/sec$, $24.02{\pm}0.34cm/sec$ and $26.15{\pm}1.50cm/sec$ in the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus and the confluence of the two, respectively, which showed good agreement with the previous experimental values. Thus, the developed PC MRA technique for low field MRI system is expected to provide the useful velocity information to diagnose the large brain vessels.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2011

Purpose: Microfracture has been used as a first-line treatment to repair articular cartilage defects. In this study, a new technique using an extracelluar matrix biomembrane to cover the cartilage lesions after microfracture was evaluated in terms of cartilage repairability and clinical outcome compared with conventional microfracture technique in a prospective randomized trial. Materials and Methods: A total of 53 patients (59 cases) without osteoarthritis who had focal full thickness articular cartilage lesions were randomly assigned in two group. Seventeen patients (17 cases) underwent conventional microfracture procedure (control group) and thirty-six patients (42 cases) received microfracture and placing biomembrane cover (ArtiFilm$^{TM}$) concomitantly (experimental group). Clinical assessment was done through 6 months postoperatively using the subjective International Knee Documentation Committee IKDC questionnaire, and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and satisfaction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at 6 months after the operation in all patients. Results: In clinical outcomes, the significant difference was observed between both groups in IKDC, but not in VAS for pain and for satisfaction (final outcomes of IKDC, p=0.001; VAS for pain, p=0.074; VAS for satisfaction, p=0.194). The MRI showed good to complete defect fill (67 to 100%) in 33 patients (78.6%) of experimental group and 4 patients (23.5%) of control group, respectively. In control group, 9 of 17 patients (52.9%) showed poor defect fill (less than 33%), whereas 5 (11.9%) in experimental group (p=0.001). Assessment of peripheral integration revealed no gap formation in 35 patients (83.3%) in experimental group and 6 patients (35.3%) in control group (p=0.001). No serious complications or adverse effects related to the biomembrane were found. Conclusion: Good short-term follow-up clinical results were obtained in the group whose cartilage defects in the knee joint were covered with biomembrane after the microfracture, with the MRI findings confirming the excellent regeneration of the defective cartilage area. This suggests that the surgery to cover the defective area with biomembrane (ArtiFilm$^{TM}$) after the microfracture procedure is a safe, more effective treatment to induce cartilage regeneration.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.403-406
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• 2006

A new medical X-ray PIV technique was developed using a conventional medical X-ray tube. To acquire images of micro-scale particles, the X-ray PIV system consists of an x-ray CCD camera with high spatial resolution, and a X-ray tube with small a focal spot. A new X-ray exposure control device was developed using a rotating disc shutter to make double pulses which are essential for PIV application. Synchronization methodology was also developed to apply the PIV technique to a conventional medical X-ray tube. In order to check the performance and usefulness of the developed X-ray PIV technique, it was applied to a glycerin flow in an opaque silicon tube. Tungsten particles which have high X-ray absorption coefficient were used as tracer particles. Through this preliminary test, the spatial resolution was found to be higher than ultrafast MRI techniques, and the temporal resolution was higher than conventional X-ray PIV techniques. By improving its performance further and developing more suitable tracers, this medical X-ray PIV technique will have strong potential in the fields of medical imaging or nondestructive inspection as well as diagnosis of practical thermo-fluid flows.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.796-797
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• 2005

In plastic and reconstructive craniomaxillofacial surgery, careful preoperative planning is essential to get a successful outcome. Many craniomaxillofacial surgeons have used imaging modalities like conventional radiographs, computed tomography(CT) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) for supporting the planning process. But, there are a lot of limitations in the comprehension of the surgical anatomy with these modalities. Medical models made with rapid prototyping (RP) technique represent a new approach for preoperative planning and simulation surgery. With rapid prototyping models, surgical procedures can be simulated and performed interactively so that surgeon can get a realistic impression of complex structures before surgical intervention. The great advantage of rapid prototyping technique is the precise reproduction of objects from a 3-dimensional reconstruction image as a physical model. Craniomaxillofacial surgeon can establish treatment strategy through preoperative simulation surgery and predict the postoperative result.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.102-109
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of the T1 3D subtraction technique and the conventional 2D dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) technique in diagnosing Cushing's disease. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with clinically and biochemically proven Cushing's disease were included in the study. In addition, 23 patients with a Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC) diagnosed on an MRI with normal pituitary hormone levels were included as a control, to prevent non-blinded positive results. Postcontrast T1 3D fast spin echo (FSE) images were acquired after DCE images in 3T MRI and image subtraction of pre- and postcontrast T1 3D FSE images were performed. Inter-observer agreement, interpretation time, multiobserver receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and net benefit analyses were performed to compare 2D DCE and T1 3D subtraction techniques. Results: Inter-observer agreement for a visual scale of contrast enhancement was poor in DCE (${\kappa}=0.57$) and good in T1 3D subtraction images (${\kappa}=0.75$). The time taken for determining contrast-enhancement in pituitary lesions was significantly shorter in the T1 3D subtraction images compared to the DCE sequence (P < 0.05). ROC values demonstrated increased reader confidence range with T1 3D subtraction images (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94-1.00) compared with DCE (95% CI: 0.70-0.92) (P < 0.01). The net benefit effect of T1 3D subtraction images over DCE was 0.34 (95% CI: 0.12-0.56). For Cushing's disease, both reviewers misclassified one case as a nonenhancing lesion on the DCE images, while no cases were misclassified on T1 3D subtraction images. Conclusion: The T1 3D subtraction technique shows superior performance for determining the presence of enhancement on pituitary lesions compared with conventional DCE techniques, which may aid in diagnosing Cushing's disease.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2017.04a
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• pp.96-96
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• 2017

농산물 수확 이후 저장 유통 과정에서 일어나는 생리적 현상 변화에 따른 내부품질의 측정 분석연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 이 연구에서는 비파괴 측정 방법들 중 하나인 자기공명영상(Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI) 기술을 활용하여 후숙 과일인 키위의 저장 일수에 따른 형태 및 내부 구조의 변화를 조사하였다. 공시재료는 국내에서 판매되고 있는 키위들 중 3품종(뉴질랜드산 Sun Gold, 뉴질랜드산 Green, 칠레산 Jin Green)별로 균일한 크기의 과일 5개씩을 이용하였으며, 시료를 실험실내($16.6^{\circ}C$, 38% RH)에서 18~19 일간 보관하면서 3~5일 간격으로 5회 시험하였다. 전북대 농업과학기술연구소가 보유하고 있는 MRI(M10, Aspect Imaging, Israel)를 활용하여 영상 이미지를 얻었으며, 저장 기간에 따른 무게 감소는 전자저울(한성, HK-series)을 이용하였다. 자기공명영상 이미지는 Gradient-Eco 펄스열을 사용하였고, 횡단면(Axial)의 영상면(Image-direction)을 중심으로 영상영역(Field of View, FOV)은 $80mm{\times}80mm$로 1회 촬영 할 때 마다 30개의 영상들을 얻었다. 저장 기간이 길어질수록 내부 공동현상이 커지는 것으로 나타났고, 뉴질랜드산 Sun Gold 품종은 다른 두 품종보다 내부 공동이 빠르게 나타났다. 실험이 끝나는 날에는 껍질이 연화되어 타원형의 형체를 계속 유지하지 못하고 붕괴되는 이미지를 MRI를 통해서 관찰 할 수 있었다. 시간이 지남에 따라 영상들의 위치가 일정하지 않고 일부 회전을 한 것처럼 나타났다. 이는 키위 전용 홀더를 만들어 고정하지 않고 측정하다보니 생긴 오차로 생각 되었다. 키위를 건조한 공간에 오래 보관하였기 때문에 시간이 지남에 따라 수분증발과 연화된 껍질 사이로 과육이 흘러 일부를 제외한 대부분의 키위 무게가 일정하게 감소하는 것을 알 수 있었다.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.159-167
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effecacy of Korean medical treatments on cervical myelopathy patient diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Methods : The patient was treated by Korean medical treatments including acupunture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medicine, cervical traction technique of Chuna treatment. To evaluate the change of MRI view, slipped disc ratio and A-P compression ratio were used. The improvement of the clinical symptoms was observed by Score of pain part and Nurick grade. Results : After treatment, patient's score of pain part, Nurick grade were decreased and slipped disc ratio, A-P compression ratio were also improved. Conclusions : The Korean medical treatments might be an effective method to improve the clinical symptoms and radiological view of cervical myelopathy.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.215-223
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• 2016

Purpose: The management of metal-induced field inhomogeneities is one of the major concerns of distortion-free magnetic resonance images near metallic implants. The recently proposed method called "Slice Encoding for Metal Artifact Correction (SEMAC)" is an effective spin echo pulse sequence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) near metallic implants. However, as SEMAC uses the noisy resolved data elements, SEMAC images can have a major problem for improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) without compromising the correction of metal artifacts. To address that issue, this paper presents a novel reconstruction technique for providing an improvement of the SNR in SEMAC images without sacrificing the correction of metal artifacts. Materials and Methods: Low-rank approximation in each coil image is first performed to suppress the noise in the slice direction, because the signal is highly correlated between SEMAC-encoded slices. Secondly, SEMAC images are reconstructed by the best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE), also known as Gauss-Markov or weighted least squares. Noise levels and correlation in the receiver channels are considered for the sake of SNR optimization. To this end, since distorted excitation profiles are sparse, $l_1$ minimization performs well in recovering the sparse distorted excitation profiles and the sparse modeling of our approach offers excellent correction of metal-induced distortions. Results: Three images reconstructed using SEMAC, SEMAC with the conventional two-step noise reduction, and the proposed image denoising for metal MRI exploiting sparsity and low rank approximation algorithm were compared. The proposed algorithm outperformed two methods and produced 119% SNR better than SEMAC and 89% SNR better than SEMAC with the conventional two-step noise reduction. Conclusion: We successfully demonstrated that the proposed, novel algorithm for SEMAC, if compared with conventional de-noising methods, substantially improves SNR and reduces artifacts.