• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.162-170
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• 2013

Dedicated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems based on pixelated semiconductors are being developed for studying small animal models of human disease. To clarify the possibility of using a SPECT system with CdTe for a high resolution low-dose small animal imaging, we compared the quality of reconstructed images from pixelated CdTe detector to those from a small SPECT system with NaI(Tl). The CdTe detector was $44.8{\times}44.8$ mm and the pixels were $0.35{\times}0.35{\times}5$ mm. The intrinsic resolution of the detector was 0.35 mm, which is equal to the pixel size. GATE simulations were performed to assess the image quality of both SPECT systems. The spatial resolutions and sensitivities for both systems were evaluated using a 10 MBq $^{99m}Tc$ point source. The quantitative comparison with different injected dose was performed using a voxelized MOBY phantom, and the absorbed doses for each organ were evaluated. The spatial resolution of the SPECT with NaI(Tl) was about 1.54 mm FWHM, while that of the SPECT with a CdTe detector was about 1.32 mm FWHM at 30 mm. The sensitivity of NaI(Tl) based SPECT was 83 cps/MBq, while that of the CdTe detector based SPECT was 116 cps/MBq at 30 mm. The image statistics were evaluated by calculating the CNR of the image from both systems. When the injected activity for the striatum in the mouse brain was 160 Bq/voxel, the CNR of CdTe based SPECT was 2.30 while that of NaI(Tl) based SPECT was 1.85. The CNR of SPECT with CdTe was overall higher than that of the NaI(Tl) based SPECT. In addition, the absorbed dose was higher from SPECT with CdTe than those from NaI(Tl) based SPECT to acquire the same quantitative values. Our simulation results indicated that the SPECT with CdTe detector showed overall high performance compared to the SPECT with NaI(Tl). Even though the validation study is needed, the SPECT system with CdTe detector appeared to be feasible for high resolution low-dose small animal imaging.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 1999

Purpose: To simulate and measure the signal intensity of various tissues near bone interface in 2D and 3D neurological MR images. Materials and Methods: In neurological proton density (PD) weighted images, every component in the head including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), muscle and scalp, with the exception of bone, are visualised. It is possible to acquire images in 2D or 3D. A 2D fast spin-echo (FSE) sequence is chosen for the 2D acquisition and a 3D gradient-echo (GE) sequence is chosen for the 3D acquisition. To find out the signal intensities of CSF, muscle and fat (or scalp) for the 2D spin-echo(SE) and 3D gradient-echo (GE) imaging sequences, the theoretical signal intensities for 2D SE and 3D GE were calculated. For the 2D fast spin-echo (FSE) sequence, to produce the PD weighted image, long TR (4000 ms) and short TE$_{eff}$ (22 ms) were employed. For the 3D GE sequence, low flip angle (8$^{\circ}$) with short TR (35 ms) and short TE (3 ms) was used to produce the PD weighted contrast. Results: The 2D FSE sequence has CSF, muscle and scalp with superior image contrast and SNR of 39 - 57 while the 3D GE sequence has CSF, muscle and scalp with broadly similar image contrast and SNR of 26 - 33. SNR in the FSE image were better than those in the GE image and the skull edges appeared very clearly in the FSE image due to the edge enhancement effect in the FSE sequence. Furthermore, the contrast between CSF, muscle and scalp in the 2D FSE image was significantly better than in the 3D GE image, due to the strong signal intensities (or SNR) from CSF, muscle and scalp and enhanced edges of CSF. Conclusion: The signal intensity of various tissues near bone interface in neurological MR images has been simulated and measured. Both the simulation and imaging of the 2D SE and 3D GE sequences have CSF, fat and muscle with broadly similar image intensity and SNR's and have succeeded in getting all tissues about the same signal. However, in the 2D FSE sequence, image contrast between CSF, muscle and scalp was good and SNR was relatively high, imaging time was relatively short.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.195-202
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• 1998

Purpose : In order to obtain basic data for treatment plan in radiosurgery, we measured small fields of 6 MV X-rays and compared the measured data with our Monte Carlo simulations for the small fields. Materials and Methods : The small fields of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 cm in diameter were used in this study. Percentage depth dose (PDD) and beam Profiles of those fields were measured and calculated. A small semiconductor detector, water phantoms, and a remote control system were used for the measurement Monte Carlo simulations were Performed using the EGS4 code with the input data prepared for the energy distribution of 6 MV X-rays, beam divergence, circular fields and the geometry of the water phantoms. Results : In the case of PDD values, the calculated values were lower than the measured values for all fields and depths, with the differences being 0.3 to 5.7% at the depths of 20 to 20.0 cm and 0.0 to 8.9% at the surface regions. As a result of the analysis of beam profiles for all field sizes at a depth of loom in water phantom, the measured 90% dose widths were in good agreement with the calculated values, however, the calculated Penumbra radii were 0.1 cm shorter than measured values. Conclusion : The measured PDDs and beam profiles agreement with the Monte Carlo calculations approximately. However, it is different when it comes to calculations in the area of phantom surface and penumbra because the Monte Carlo calculations were performed under the simplified geometries. Therefore, we have to study how to include the actual geometries and more precise data for the field area in Monte Carlo calculations. The Monte Carlo calculations will be used as a useful tool for the very complicated conditions in measurement and verification.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 1998

Digital hearing aids offer many advantages over conventional analog hearing aids. With the advent of high speed digital signal processing chips, new digital techniques have been introduced to digital hearing aids. In addition, the evaluation of new ideas in hearing aids is necessarily accompanied by intensive subject-based clinical tests which requires much time and cost. In this paper, we present an objective method to evaluate and predict the performance of hearing aid systems without the help of such subject-based tests. In the hearing impairment simulation(HIS) algorithm, a sensorineural hearing impairment medel is established from auditory test data of the impaired subject being simulated. Also, the nonlinear behavior of the loudness recruitment is defined using hearing loss functions generated from the measurements. To transform the natural input sound into the impaired one, a frequency sampling filter is designed. The filter is continuously refreshed with the level-dependent frequency response function provided by the impairment model. To assess the performance, the HIS algorithm was implemented in real-time using a floating-point DSP. Signals processed with the real-time system were presented to normal subjects and their auditory data modified by the system was measured. The sensorineural hearing impairment was simulated and tested. The threshold of hearing and the speech discrimination tests exhibited the efficiency of the system in its use for the hearing impairment simulation. Using the HIS system we evaluated three typical hearing aid algorithms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.327-335
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• 2016

The study is enforce to study image quality evaluation of condition provide the IEC and combination of clinical conditions each quality of radiation that image quality to assess the conditions provided to IEC in the clinical environment to conduct image quality assessment of the digital radiography system in the detector have environmental limits. First, image quality evaluation was evaluated by measuring the MTF, NPS using four quality of radiation and Using MCNPX simulation lastly DQE make a image quality evaluation after calculating the particle fluence to analyze spectrum quality of radiation. Second, Using MCNPX simulation of four quality of radiation was evaluated absorbed dose rate about electronic 1 per unit air, water, muscle, bone by using Radiation flux density and energy, mass-energy absorption coefficient of matter. Results of evaluation of image quality, MTF of four quality of radiation was satisfied diagnosis frequency domain 1.0 ~ 3.0 lp/mm of general X-ray that indicated 1.13 ~ 2.91 lp/mm spatial frequency. The NPS has added filter, spatial frequency 0.5 lp/mm at standard NPS showed a tendency to decrease after increase. Unused added filter, spatial frequency 0.5 lp/mm at standard NPS showed a certain NPS result value after decrease. DQE in 70 kVp / unuesd added filter(21 mm Al) / SID 150 cm that patial frequency 1.5 lp/mm at standard showed a tendency to decrease after certain value showed. Patial frequency in the rest quality of radiation was showed a tendency to decrease after increase. Results of evaluation of absorbed dose, air < water < muscle < bone in the order showed a tendency to increase. Based on the results of this study provide to basic data that present for the image quality evaluation method of a digital radiation imaging system in various the clinical condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.671-677
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• 2017

In this study, scattering factors affecting the quality of medical images were quantitatively analyzed and investigated. MCNPX simulation was conducted by using ANSI phantom, made of tissue equivalent materials, to calculate the scattering ratio occurred by the increase of the object thickness. Then, the result of the simulation was compared with the result of actual radiation measurement. In addition, we evaluated the image quality by the RMS evaluation, RSD and NPS analysis using X-ray images acquired with increasing object thickness. Furthermore, the scattering ratio was analyzed by increasing the thickness of acrylic phantom on chest phantom. The result showed that the scattering ratio was increased to 57.2%, 62.4%, and 66.8% from 48.9%, respectively, when the acrylic phantom thickness was increased by 1 inch from 6.1 inches. The results of MCNPX simulation and the actual measured scattering dose showed similar results. Also, as a result of RMS measurement from acquired x-ray images, the standard deviation decreased as the object thickness increased. However, in the RSD analysis considering the average incident dose, the results were increased from 0.028 to 0.039, 0.051, 0.062 as the acrylic phantom thickness was increased from 6.1 inches to 7.1 inch, 8.1 inch, and 9.1 inch, respectively. It can be seen that the increase of the scattering effect due to the increase of the object thickness reduces the SNR. Also, the NPS results obtained by measuring scattered radiation incident on the detector resulted in the increase of the noise as the object thickness increased.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.373-379
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• 2022

The radiation source used for non-destructive testing have permeability and cause a scattered radiation through collisions of surrounding materials, which causes changes in the surrounding spatial dose. Therefore, this study attempted to evaluate and analyze the distribution of spatial dose by source in the working environment during the non-destructive test using monte carlo simulation. In this study, Using FLUKA, a simulation code, simulates ⁶⁰Co, ¹⁹²Ir, and ⁷⁵Se source used in non-destructive testing, The reliability of the source term was secured by comparing the calculated dose rate with the data of the Health and Physics Association. After that, a non-destructive test in the radiation safety facility(RT-room) was designed to evaluate the spatial dose according to the distance from the source. As a result of the spatial dose evaluation, ⁷⁵Se source showed the lowest dose distribution in the frontal position and ⁶⁰Co source showed a dose rate of about 15 times higher than that of ⁷⁵Se and about 2 times higher than that of ¹⁹²Ir. In addition, the spatial dose according to the distance tends to decrease according to the distance inverse square law as the distance from the source increases. Exceptionally, ⁶⁰Co, ¹⁹²Ir, and ⁷⁵Se sources confirmed a slight increase within 2 m of position. Based on the results of this study, it is believed that it will be used as supplementary data for safety management of workers in radiation safety facilities during non-destructive testing using radioactive isotopes.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2016

The paper discusses radiation dose of dual energy CT on which copper modulation layer, is mounted in order to improve diagnostic performance of the dual energy CT. The radiation dose is estimated using MCNPX and its results are compared with that of the conventional dual energy CT system. CT X-ray spectra of 80 and 120 kVp, which are usually used for thorax, abdominal, head, and neck CT scans, were generated by the SPEC78 code and were used for the source specification 'SDEF' card for MCNPX dose modeling. The copper modulation layer was located 20 cm away from a source covering half of the X-ray window. The radiation dose was measured as changing its thickness from 0.5 to 2.0 mm at intervals of 0.5 mm. Since the MCNPX tally provides only normalized values to a single particle, the dose conversion coefficients of F6 tally for the modulation layer-based dual energy CBCT should be calculated for matching the modeling results into the actual dose. The dose conversion coefficient is $7.2*10^4cGy/output$ that is obtained from dose calibration curve between F6 tally and experimental results in which GAFCHORMIC EBT3 films were exposed by an already known source. Consequently, the dose of the modulation layer-based dual energy cone beam CT is 33~40% less than that of the single energy CT system. On the basis of the results, it is considered that scattered dose produced by the copper modulation layer is very small. It shows that the modulation layer-based dual energy CBCT system can effectively reduce radiation dose, which is the major disadvantage of established dual energy CT.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.290-297
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• 2009

In case of radiation treatment using small field high-energy photon beams, an accurate dosimetry is a challenging task because of dosimetrically unfavorable phenomena such as dramatic changes of the dose at the field boundaries, dis-equilibrium of the electrons, and non-uniformity between the detector and the phantom materials. In this study, the absorbed dose in the phantom was measured by using an ion chamber and a diode detector widely used in clinics. $GAFCHROMIC^{(R)}$ EBT films composed of water equivalent materials was also evaluated as a small field detector and compared with ionchamber and diode detectors. The output factors at 10 cm depth of a solid phantom located 100 cm from the 6 MV linear accelerator (Varian, 6 EX) source were measured for 6 field sizes ($5{\times}5\;cm^2$, $2{\times}2\;cm^2$, $1.5{\times}1.5\;cm^2$, $1{\times}1\;cm^2$, $0.7{\times}0.7\;cm^2$ and $0.5{\times}0.5\;cm^2$). As a result, from $5{\times}5\;cm^2$ to $1.5{\times}1.5\;cm^2$ field sizes, absorbed doses from three detectors were accurately identified within 1%. Wheres, the ion chamber underestimated dose compared to other detectors in the field sizes less than $1{\times}1\;cm^2$. In order to correct the observed underestimation, a convolution method was employed to eliminate the volume averaging effect of an ion chamber. Finally, in $1{\times}1\;cm^2$ field the absorbed dose with a diode detector was about 3% higher than that with the EBT film while the dose with the ion chamber after volume correction was 1% lower. For $0.5{\times}0.5\;cm^2$ field, the dose with the diode detector was 1% larger than that with the EBT film while dose with volume corrected ionization chamber was 7% lower. In conclusion, the possibility of $GAFCHROMIC^{(R)}$ EBT film as an small field dosimeter was tested and further investigation will be proceed using Monte Calro simulation.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.338-343
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a small animal PET using dual layer phoswich detector to minimize parallax error that degrades spatial resolution at the outer part of field-of-view (FOV). Materials and Methods: A simulation tool GATE (Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission) was used to derive optimal parameters of small PET, and PET was developed employing the parameters. Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate (LSO) and Lutetium-Yttrium Aluminate-Perovskite(LuYAP) was used to construct dual layer phoswitch crystal. $8{\times}8$ arrays of LSO and LuYAP pixels, $2mm{\times}2mm{\times}8mm$ in size, were coupled to a 64-channel position sensitive photomultiplier tube. The system consisted of 16 detector modules arranged to one ring configuration (ring inner diameter 10 cm, FOV of 8 cm). The data from phoswich detector modules were fed into an ADC board in the data acquisition and preprocessing PC via sockets, decoder block, FPGA board, and bus board. These were linked to the master PC that stored the events data on hard disk. Results: In a preliminary test of the system, reconstructed images were obtained by using a pair of detectors and sensitivity and spatial resolution were measured. Spatial resolution was 2.3 mm FWHM and sensitivity was 10.9 $cps/{\mu}Ci$ at the center of FOV. Conclusion: The radioactivity distribution patterns were accurately represented in sinograms and images obtained by PET with a pair of detectors. These preliminary results indicate that it is promising to develop a high performance small animal PET.