• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.83-91
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• 2017

In this work, we investigated the recently proposed phase-contrast x-ray imaging (PCXI) technique, the so-called single grid-based PCXI, which has great simplicity and minimal requirements on the setup alignment. It allows for imaging of smaller features and variations in the examined sample than conventional attenuation-based x-ray imaging with lower x-ray dose. We performed a systematic simulation using a simulation platform developed by us to investigate the image characteristics. We also performed a preliminary PCXI experiment using an established a table-top setup to demonstrate the performance of the simulation platform. The system consists of an x-ray tube ($50kV_p$, 5 mAs), a focused-linear grid (200-lines/inch), and a flat-panel detector ($48-{\mu}m$ pixel size). According to our results, the simulated contrast of phase images was much enhanced, compared to that of the absorption images. The scattering length scale estimated for a given simulation condition was about 117 nm. It was very similar, at least qualitatively, to the experimental contrast, which demonstrates the performance of the simulation platform. We also found that the level of the phase gradient of oriented structures strongly depended on the orientation of the structure relative to that of linear grids.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.937-946
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• 2020

The grating interferometer provides the differential phase contrast image of an phase object due to refraction of the wavefront by the object, and it needs to be converted to the phase contrast image. The line-integration process to obtain the phase contrast image from a differential phase contrast image accumulates noise and generate stripe artifacts. The stripe artifacts have noise and distortion increases to the integration direction in the line-integrated phase contrast image. In this study, we have configured and compared several machine learning methods to reduce the artifacts. The machine learning methods have been applied to simulated numerical phantoms as well as experimental data from the X-ray and neutron grating interferometer for comparison. As a result, the combination of the wavelet preprocessing and machine learning method (WCNN) has shown to be the most effective.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 2008

X-ray microscopy with synchrotron radiation(SR) might be a useful tool for novel x-ray imaging in the clinical and laboratory settings. Microscopically, it enables us to observe detailed structure of animal organs samples with a great magnification power and an excellent resolution. The phase contrast mechanisms in image by X-ray are described. The phase-contrast X-ray imaging with SR from in-vivo and in-vitro mouse tail, rat nerve and rat lung were obtained with an 8 KeV monochromatic beam. The visual image was magnified using 10x microscope objective lens and captured using an digital CCD camera. The results showed more structural details and high resolution images with SR imaging system than conventional X-ray radiography system. The SR imaging system may have a potential for imaging in biological researches, material applications and clinical radiography.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2021

The evolution of X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been based on the discovery of X-rays, the inception of the Radon transform, and the development of X-ray digital data acquisition systems and computer technology. Unlike conventional X-ray imaging (general radiography), CT reconstructs cross-sectional anatomical images of the internal structures according to X-ray attenuation coefficients (approximate tissue density) for almost every region in the body. This article reviews the essential physical principles and technical aspects of the CT scanner, including several notable evolutions in CT technology that resulted in the emergence of helical, multidetector, cone beam, portable, dual-energy, and phase-contrast CT, in integrated imaging modalities, such as positron-emission-tomography-CT and single-photon-emission-computed-tomography-CT, and in clinical applications, including image acquisition parameters, CT angiography, image adjustment, versatile image visualizations, volumetric/surface rendering on a computer workstation, radiation treatment planning, and target localization in radiotherapy. The understanding of CT characteristics will provide more effective and accurate patient care in the fields of diagnostics and radiotherapy, and can lead to the improvement of image quality and the optimization of exposure doses.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.690-693
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• 2003

Soft x-ray microscopy provides a unique set of capabilities in-between those of visible light and electron microscopy. It has long been recognized that nature provides a 'water window' spectral region between the K shell x-ray absorption edges of carbon (~290eV) and oxygen (~540eV), where organic materials show strong absorption and phase contrast, while water is relatively non-absorbing. This enables imaging of hydrated biological specimens that are several microns thick with high intrinsic contrast using x-rays with a wavelength of 2.3~4.4nm. Soft X-ray microscopy is therefore well suited to the study of specimens like single biological cells. The most direct advantage of X-ray microscope is their high spatial resolution when compared with visible light microscopes, combined with an ability to image hydrated specimens that are several microns with a minimum of preparation. Our study describes the conceptual design of soft x-ray microscope system based on a laser-based source for biomedical application with high resolution ($\leq$50nm) and short exposure time ($\leq$30sec).

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2015

One of properties which X-ray and Neutron can be applied nondestructive test is penetration into the object with interaction leads to decrease in intensity. X-ray interaction with the matter caused by electrons, Neutron caused by atoms. They share applications in nondestructive test area because of their similarities of interaction mechanism. Grating interferometer is the one of applications produces phase contrast image and dark field image. It is defined by Talbot interferometer and Talbot-Lau interferometer according to Talbot effect and Talbot-Lau effect respectively. Talbot interferometer works with coherence beam like X-ray, and Talbot-Lau has an effect with incoherence beam like Neutron. It is important to expect the interference in grating interferometer compared normal nondestructive system. In this paper, simulation works are conducted according to Talbot and Talbot-Lau interferometer in case of X-ray and Neutron. Variation of interference intensity with X-ray and Neutron based on wave theory is constructed and calculate elements consist the system. Additionally, Talbot and Talbot-Lau interferometer is simulated in different kinds of conditions.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.215-222
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• 2015

In this work, we performed a proof-of-concept experiment for phase-contrast x-ray imaging (PCXI) based on a single antiscatter grid and a polychromatic x-ray source. We established a table-top setup which consists of a focused-linear grid having a strip density of 200 lines/inch, a microfocus x-ray tube having a focal-spot size of about $5{\mu}m$, and a CMOS-type flat-panel detector having a pixel size of $48{\mu}m$. By using our prototype PCXI system and the Fourier demodulation technique, we successfully obtained attenuation, scattering, and differential phase-contrast images of improved visibility from the raw images of several selected samples at x-ray tube conditions of $90kV_p$ and 0.1 mAs. Further, fusion image (e.g., the attenuation+the scattering) may have an advantage in displaying details of the sample's structures that are not clearly visible in the conventional attenuation image. Our experimental results indicate that single-grid-based approach seems a useful method for PCXI with great simplicity and minimal requirements on the setup alignment.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.568-573
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• 2016

We explore the crystalline structure and phase transition of lithium thiophosphate ($Li_7P_3S_{11}$) solid electrolyte using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The glass-like $Li_7P_3S_{11}$ powder is prepared by the high-energy mechanical milling process. According to the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and selected area diffraction (SAD) analysis, the glass powder shows chemical homogeneity without noticeable contrast variation at any specific spot in the specimen and amorphous SAD ring patterns. Upon heating up to $260^{\circ}C$ the glass $Li_7P_3S_{11}$ powder becomes crystallized, clearly representing crystal plane diffraction contrast in the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy image. We further confirm that each diffraction spot precisely corresponds to the diffraction from a particular $Li_7P_3S_{11}$ crystallographic structure, which is also in good agreement with the previous X-ray diffraction results. We expect that the microscopic analysis with EDS and SAD patterns would permit a new approach to study in the atomic scale of other lithium ion conducting sulfides.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.7
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• pp.571-578
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• 2017

Bubbles are generated by the boiling of the cooling water when an accident occurs in the reactor and then in order to measure the void fraction, the Optical Fiber Probe(OFP) and optical camera are used in thermal hydraulic safety research. However, such an optical method is not suitable for measuring the void fraction in a $17{\times}17$ array of fuel rods due to the geometrical limitations. This study was conducted as a preliminary study using x-ray system and various phantoms before applying to rod bundles. Through radiographic and tomographic experiments, the tube voltage of the x-ray generator was 130 kVp and the tube current was 1 mA. In addition, it is possible to measure the hole of 1mm in size visually through the bubble resolution phantom, and it is confirmed that the contrast is relatively decreased in the inside of the freon in the case of the contrast evaluation using the road phantom. However, we could obtain good image without distortion when reconstructing the image. Bubble generation phantom experiments were used to confirm the flow direction of the bubbles and to acquire tomography images. The image J tool was used to measure the void fraction of 18 % for a single tomography image. This study has carried out previous researches for the measurement of the bubble rate around the nuclear fuel and could be used as a basic research for continuous research.

• Anatomy & Biological Anthropology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.133-142
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• 2018

3D histology is a imaging system for the 3D structural information of cells or tissues. The synchrotron radiation propagation phase contrast micro-CT has been used in 3D imaging methods. However, the simple phase contrast micro-CT did not give sufficient micro-structural information when the specimen contains soft elements, as is the case with many biomedical tissue samples. The purpose of this study is to develop a new technique to enhance the phase contrast effect for soft tissue imaging. Experiments were performed at the imaging beam lines of Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL). The biomedical tissue samples under frozen state was mounted on a computer-controlled precision stage and rotated in $0.18^{\circ}$ increments through $180^{\circ}$. An X-ray shadow of a specimen was converted into a visual image on the surface of a CdWO4 scintillator that was magnified using a microscopic objective lens(X5 or X20) before being captured with a digital CCD camera. 3-dimensional volume images of the specimen were obtained by applying a filtered back-projection algorithm to the projection images using a software package OCTOPUS. Surface reconstruction and volume segmentation and rendering were performed were performed using Amira software. In this study, We found that synchrotron phase contrast imaging of frozen tissue samples has higher contrast power for soft tissue than that of non-frozen samples. In conclusion, synchrotron radiation propagation phase contrast cryo-microCT imaging offers a promising tool for non-destructive high resolution 3D histology.