• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.590-596
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• 2016

Biopsy is a typical needle type intervention procedure performed under radiographic image equipment such as computed tomography (CT) and cone-beam CT. This minimal invasive procedure is a simple and effective way for identifying cancerous condition of a suspicious tissue but radiation exposure for the patients and interventional radiologists is a critical problem. In order to overcome such trouble and improve accuracy in targeting of the needle, there have been various attempts using robot technology. Those devices and systems, however, are not for full procedure automation in biopsy without consideration for tissue sampling task. A robotic end-effector of a master-slave tele-operated needle type intervention robot system has been proposed to perform entire biopsy procedure by the authors. However, motorized sampling adopted in the device has different cutting speed from that of biopsy guns used in the conventional way. This paper presents the design of a novel robotic mechanism and protocol for the automation of biopsy procedure using spring-triggered biopsy gun mechanism. An experimental prototype has been successfully fabricated and shown its feasibility of the automated biopsy sequence.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.307-315
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• 2005

In the ubiquitous computing environments, ICT industries of current society are developed in enormous growth. Medicine or patients with mobile devices can access at any time, any place. The medical procedures at the patient bedside are out of the scope of current systems, which means that patient record and image data access during the medical visit or the execution, recording and confirmation of the medicine prescriptions, still do not enjoy computerized support. Today, the exchange of medical images and clinical information is well defined by DICOM and HL7 standards. The DICOM independent terminal equipment image access system was developed in which a DICOM Engine acts as the gateway between a PACS DB and user's terminal. Implementation system is compatible with most currently available Integration system models. This paper presents a software technology where the medical and nursing staff will be equipped with any device connected by wire and wireless to a central server that provides access to the electronic patient records and that will actively inform about tasks pending distribution. The prototype described in this article implements a medical images and structured reports server that makes the search and recovery of data stored in the DICOM standard possible.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.14-24
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• 2009

This study aims at deriving any useful information necessary to strengthen the competitiveness for growth through empirical analyses on general hospital located in a province in order to countermeasure the opening and competition of medical markets. The characteristics of user were identified on the basis of disease groups under KCD in the research method. In addition, the analysis on the expenses of diagnosis and treatment was divided into the treatment progress and degree of hospital resource utilization And the regression was carried out to identify the impacts of characteristics of inpatient users on the degree of hospital resource utilization. As a result of major research, the inpatient users of the general hospital located in the provincial area in consideration of inpatient users were formed around the inpatient disease groups representative for Korea(diseases of the respiratory system, injury and poisoning & certain other consequences of external causes). And it was understood that most of residents within a distance of 40 minute by the public transportation were using. And mostly were under the age of 9 or over 60, and the provision of medical features such as the degree of consultation and operational functions were inadequate. When we classify inpatient treatment cost for each resource application as the medical cost being the center of patient care function, the equipment and human resource application sector are constituted over half. Accordingly, the following suggestions are made as plans to strengthen the competitiveness for the growth of general hospitals located in the provincial areas on the basis of analytical results. First, it is necessary to have the characterization matching to the age and disease groups with a high frequency. Second, it is necessary to increase the degree of hospital resource utilization according to the characterization. Third, it is necessary to concentrate on public relations. The above suggestion, as a method for securing image improvement and competitive power as a general hospital, and through expansion of social function that a regional general hospital needs to secure not only as an individual institution but also as a general hospital, it can be seen that a general improvement of image as a regional general hospital is possible.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.793-799
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• 2018

As interest in artificial intelligence has increased, artificial intelligence has been actively studied in the medical field. In Korea, artificial intelligence has been applied to medical imaging devices such as X-ray imaging, Computer Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and artificial intelligence capable of acquiring radiation images of patients without radiologists in the future Medical devices are expected to be invented. This study was an initial study on the automation of patient positioning in X - ray imaging. We used x-ray equipment and human phantoms to evaluate the positioning. The program used Visual Studio 2010 MFC and the image was in the size $1450{\times}1814$. The pixel values were converted to contrasts with values of 0 to 255 that can be visually recognized and output to the monitor. We developed a procedure algorithm program that predicts the angle of the output image through three pixel coordinate values and induces the patient to perform correct positioning according to the voice guidance according to the angle. In the next study, we will study the artificial intelligence to grasp the structure itself and calculate the angle, rather than conveying the reference of coordinates to artificial intelligence. In the future, it is expected that it will be helpful in the study of artificial intelligence from shooting to positioning through the automation of positioning.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.15-21
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• 1991

Experiment was conducted on the image quality and exposure dose following replacement of $CaWO_4$ system screen BH-III and BX-III which have so far been used for high-voltage hard-radiation quality radiography, with rare earth system screen KO750, combined with high contrast film SRH, while additional filter was altered, Cu 0.8 mm+Al 1.4 mm(HVL : Al 8.8 mm), Cu 1.3 mm+Al 1.0 mm(HVL : Al 10.6 mm) and Cu 1.8 mm+Al 1.5 mm(HVL : Al 11.4 mm). AS a result, visual evaluation did not detect extreme changes in image quality under the respective condition(HVL : $Al\;8.8\;mm{\sim}Al\;11.4\;mm$). It was noted, however, that surface exposure dose declined with an increase in the thickness of the additional filter, as it was $18.9\;{\mu}Gy$ at HVL Al 8.8 mm, $17.5\;{\mu}Gy$ at Al 10.6 mm and $15.7\;{\mu}Gy$ at Al 11.4 mm. Considering the limited rating of X-ray equipment and wear of machinery, however, the range of $Cu\;1.3\;mm{\sim}1.8\;mm+Al\;1.0\;mm{\sim}1.5\;mm(1/16\;VL{\sim}1/32\;VL)$ seemed to be a limit.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.101-107
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• 2016

Due to the recent advancement in digital imaging technology, development of intervention equipment has become generalize. Video arbitration procedure is a process to insert a tiny catheter and a guide wire in the body, so in order to enhance the effectiveness and safety of this treatment, the high-quality of x-ray of image should be used. However, the increasing of radiation has become the problem. Therefore, the studies to improve the performance of x-ray detectors are being actively processed. Moreover, this intervention is based on the reference of the angiographic imaging and 3D medical image processing. In this paper, we propose a guidance system to support this intervention. Through this intervention, it can solve the problem of the existing 2D medical images based vessel that has a formation of cerebrovascular disease, and guide the real-time tracking and optimal route to the target lesion by intervention catheter and guide wire tool. As a result, the system was completely composed for medical image acquisition unit and image processing unit as well as a display device. The experimental environment, guide services which are provided by the proposed system Brain Phantom (complete intracranial model with aneurysms, ref H+N-S-A-010) was taken with x-ray and testing. To generate a reference image based on the Laplacian algorithm for the image processing which derived from the cerebral blood vessel model was applied to DICOM by Volume ray casting technique. $A^*$ algorithm was used to provide the catheter with a guide wire tracking path. Finally, the result does show the location of the catheter and guide wire providing in the proposed system especially, it is expected to provide a useful guide for future intervention service.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2012

Phase Contrast MR Angiography(PC MRA) is excellent MRA technique for measuring the velocity of vessels in the human body. PC MRA need to at least four images for angiogram reconstruction and it caused longer scan time. Therefore, we used keyhole imaging combined PC MRA to reduce the scan time. However, keyhole imaging can lead the erroneous effects as loss of phase information or frequency discontinuous. In this study, we applied the keyhole imaging combined 2D PC MRA for improving the temporal resolution and also measured the velocity to evaluate the accuracy of phase information. We used 0.32T MRI scanner(Magfinder II, Scimedix, Korea). Using the 2D PC MRA pulse sequence, the vascular images for a human brain targeted on the Superior Sagittal Sinus(SSS) were obtained. We applied tukey window function for keyhole images to minimize the ringing artifact and erroneous factors that are induced frequency discontinuous and phase information loss. We also applied zero-padded algorithm to peripheral missing k-space lines to compare keyhole imaging results and the artifact power(AP) value was measured on the complex difference images to validate the image quality. Consider as based on our results, heavy image distortions and artifacts were shown until using at least 50% keyhole factor. Using above the 50% keyhole factors are shown well reconstructed and matched for magnitude images and velocity information measurements. In conclusion, we confirmed the image quality and velocity information of keyhole technique combined 2D PC MRA. Especially, measured velocity information through the keyhole imaging combination was similar to the velocity information of full sampled k-space image despite of frequency discontinuous and phase information loss in the keyhole imaging reconstruction process. Consequently, the keyhole imaging combined 2D PC MRA will give some clinical usefulness and advantages as improving the temporal resolution and measuring the velocity information via selecting the appropriate keyhole factor at low tesla MRI system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.335-341
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• 2018

With the improvement of medical state, patients' expectations for the most advanced medical equipment are increasing. Particularly, Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) is used as one of the core image diagnosis methods in all clinical area. However, it has been reported that many of patients who go through the examination suffer from anxiety to the severe noise level during the examination. In this study, both the noise reduction evaluation of headsets with sound-blocking materials added to existing sound-absorbing materials and the existence of sound blocking materials as artifacts on the examination image are tested. An MRI test noise is recorded as a speaker by cross-ordination the sound material (sponge) and the sound material (acrylic plate, copper plate, and 3D copper plate) inside the headset made from 3D pring. A quantitative assessment of headsets showed that the average headset value was 81.8 dB. The average dB value of the most soundproof material combination(Copper, acrylic plate, sponge, sponge) headsets on headsets with added charactering material was measured at 70.4 dB, and MRI showed that the copper was diamagnetic substance and excluded. The second most soundproof headset(Sponge, acrylic plate, 3D copper plate, sponge) was measured at 70.6 dB and MRI showed no artifacts. The same simulation of the material printed with a 3D copper PLA containing approximately 40 % copper powder resulted in no artifacts, therefore, the material output as a 3D printing was better suited for use. For MRI related research, the mutual development of 3D printing is highly anticipated.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.645-650
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• 2018

This research aims at measuring images density of according to DAP(dose area product), and suggesting the need to quality control of exposure dose. When tube voltage was fixed as 80 kVp and tube current was set as 1, 25, 50, 80, and 100 mAs, with the increase of DAP from 25 mAs to 50 mAs, the dose also rose 1.88 times as much as before, and with the increase from 50 mAs to 100 mAs, it got 2.05 time higher than before. However, the images density obtained as film grew as much as 48% with the increase from 25 mAs to 50 mAs, and 29% with the increase from 50 mAs to 100 mAs. In addition, it has been found out that the higher the DR images density got from 25 mAs to 50 mAs, the bigger it became by 12%, and that it got bigger by 30% with the increase from 50 mAs to 100 mAs. In other words, the differences in the image density by the increase of the dose with the digital imaging equipment in a proper condition was proved to be less than in the film images. Based on the results of this research, medical institutions using a digital imaging equipment are expected to be able to reduce exposure dose of each region of interest than now through the quality control of radiation dose.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2003

Purpose : Computed tomographic equipment is essential for diagnosis by means of radiation. With passage of time and development of science computed tomographic was developed time and again and in future examination by means of this equipment is expected to increase. In this connection these authors measured rate of scatter ray generation at front of lead glass for patients within control room of computed tomographic equipment room and outside of entrance door for exit and entrance of patients and attempted to ind out method for minimizing exposure to scatter ray. Material and Method : From November 2001 twenty five units of computed tomographic equipments which were already installed and operation by 13 general hospitals and university hospitals in Seoul were subjected to this study. As condition of photographing those recommended by manufacturer for measuring exposure to sauter ray was use. At the time objects used DALI CT Radiation Dose Test Phantom fot Head (${\oint}16\;cm$ Plexglas) and Phantom for Stomache(${\oint}32\;cm$ Plexglas) were used. For measurement of scatter ray Reader (Radiation Monitor Controller Model 2026) and G-M Survey were used to Survey Meter of Radical Corporation, model $20{\times}5-1800$, Electrometer/Ion Chamber, S/N 21740. Spots for measurement of scatter ray included front of lead glass for patients within control room of computed tomographic equipment room which is place where most of work by gradiographic personnel are carried out and is outside of entrance door for exit and entrance of patients and their guardians and at spot 100 cm off from isocenter at the time of scanning the object. The results : Work environment within computed tomography room which was installed and under operation by each hospital showed considerable difference depending on circumstances of pertinent hospitals and status of scatter ray was as follows. 1) From isocenter of computed tomographic equipment to lead glass for patients within control room average distance was 377 cm. At that time scatter ray showed diverse distribution from spot where no presence was detected to spot where about 100 mR/week was detected. But it met requirement of weekly tolerance $2.58{\times}10^{-5}\;C/kg$(100 mR/week). 2) From isocenter of computed tomographic equipment to outside of entrance door where patients and their guardians exit and enter was 439 cm in average, At that time scatter ray showed diverse distribution from spot where almost no presence was detected to spot with different level but in most of cases it satisfied requirement of weekly tolerance of $2.58{\times}10^{-6}\;C/kg$(100 mR/week). 3) At the time of scanning object amount of scatter ray at spot with 100 cm distance from isocenter showed considerable difference depending on equipments. Conclusion : Use of computed tomographic equipment as one for generation of radiation for diagnosis is increasing daily. Compared to other general X-ray photographing field of diagnosis is very high but there is a high possibility of exposure to radiation and scatter ray. To be free from scatter ray at computed tomographic equipment room even by slight degree it is essential to secure sufficient space and more effort should be exerted for development of variety of skills to enable maximum photographic image at minimum cost.