• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.101-107
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to evaluate optimal CT scan parameters to minimize patient dose to the irradiation and maintain satisfactory image quality in low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) scans. In a chest anthropomorphic phantom, chest CT scans were performed at different kVp and mA within reference of 3.4mGy in volume CT Dose Index (CTDI_vol). The following quantitative parameters had been statistically evaluated: image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and figure of merit (FOM). Nine radiographers conducted the blind test to select the optimal kVp-mA combination. Results indicated that the kVp-mA combination of 80kVp-90mA, 100kVp-50mA, 120kVp-30mA and 140kVp-30mA were obtained high SNR and CNR. The 120kVp-30mA combination offered good compromise in the FOM, which showed the quality and dose performance. In the blind test, an image of 80kVp-90mA obtained a high score with 4.7 points, and 120kVp-10mA or 140kVp-10mA with a low tube current were observed severe noise and poor image quality, thus resulting in decreased diagnostic accuracy. On the other hand, in the combination of high kVp and high mA(140kVp-90mA), the image quality was improved, but the radiation dose was also increased. the FOM value of 140kVp-90mA was lower than 120kVp-30mA. The application of appropriate scan parameters in low-dose chest CT scans produced satisfactory results in dose and image quality for the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• 제14권7호
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• pp.1003-1011
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• 2020

This study aims to compare and evaluate the image differences between single and dual sources in applying a technique to reduce metal artifacts using dual energy CT. Discovery CT 256 (GE, USA) as a single source device and Somatom Definition Flash (Siemens Health Care, Forchheim, Germany) as a dual source device. The self-made phantom (pigs with medical titanium screws inserted) was quantitative and qualitatively evaluated under the same conditions by varying the dose under the same conditions using a dual energy CT. The evaluation method was compared by measuring SNR for metal artifacts (scattering, stripe) generated by metal inserts, divided around bones and around tissues. There was a difference in images in the method of reducing metal artifacts between single-source and dual-source devices. In a single source device, the linearized prosthesis by metal implantation showed a greater decrease than the image obtained from a double source device, and the surrounding tissue was well observed without interference from the artifact. In dual-source devices, scattering and stripe artifacts caused by metal inserts decreased more than on a single source device, and signals from adjacent tissues surrounding the metal implant were well observed without diminishing. If the examination is conducted separately between single source and dual source devices depending on whether the area to which the patient is intended to be viewed during the examination is adjacent to the metal insert or the total tissue surrounding the metal insert, it is believed that diagnostic helpful images can be obtained.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.25-33
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• 2023

Noise generated during the acquisition and transmission of CT images acts as a factor that degrades image quality. Therefore, noise removal to solve this problem is an important preprocessing process in image processing. In this paper, we remove noise by using a deformable convolutional autoencoder (DeCAE) model in which deformable convolution operation is applied instead of the existing convolution operation in the convolutional autoencoder (CAE) model of deep learning. Here, the deformable convolution operation can extract features of an image in a more flexible area than the conventional convolution operation. The proposed DeCAE model has the same encoder-decoder structure as the existing CAE model, but the encoder is composed of deformable convolutional layers and the decoder is composed of conventional convolutional layers for efficient noise removal. To evaluate the performance of the DeCAE model proposed in this paper, experiments were conducted on CT images corrupted by various noises, that is, Gaussian noise, impulse noise, and Poisson noise. As a result of the performance experiment, the DeCAE model has more qualitative and quantitative measures than the traditional filters, that is, the Mean filter, Median filter, Bilateral filter and NL-means method, as well as the existing CAE models, that is, MAE (Mean Absolute Error), PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and SSIM. (Structural Similarity Index Measure) showed excellent results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• 제84권1호
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• pp.240-252
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• 2023

Purpose To assess the effect of deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) for head CT in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods We collected 126 pediatric head CT images, which were reconstructed using filtered back projection, iterative reconstruction using adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR)-V, and all three levels of DLIR (TrueFidelity; GE Healthcare). Each image set group was divided into four subgroups according to the patients' ages. Clinical and dose-related data were reviewed. Quantitative parameters, including the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and qualitative parameters, including noise, gray matter-white matter (GM-WM) differentiation, sharpness, artifact, acceptability, and unfamiliar texture change were evaluated and compared. Results The SNR and CNR of each level in each age group increased among strength levels of DLIR. High-level DLIR showed a significantly improved SNR and CNR (p < 0.05). Sequential reduction of noise, improvement of GM-WM differentiation, and improvement of sharpness was noted among strength levels of DLIR. Those of high-level DLIR showed a similar value as that with ASiR-V. Artifact and acceptability did not show a significant difference among the adapted levels of DLIR. Conclusion Adaptation of high-level DLIR for the pediatric head CT can significantly reduce image noise. Modification is needed while processing artifacts.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.21-25
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• 2010

Purpose: For better PET imaging with accuracy the transmission scanning is inevitably required for attenuation correction. The attenuation is affected by condition of acquisition and patient position, consequently quantitative accuracy may be decreased in emission scan imaging. In this paper, the present study aims at providing the measurement for attenuation varying with the positions of the patient's arm in whole body PET/CT, further performing the comparative analysis over its SUV changes. Materials and Methods: NEMA 1994 PET phantom was filled with $^{18}F$-FDG and the concentration ratio of insert cylinder and background water fit to 4:1. Phantom images were acquired through emission scanning for 4min after conducting transmission scanning by using CT. In an attempt to acquire image at the state that the arm of the patient was positioned at the lower of ahead, image was acquired in away that two pieces of Teflon inserts were used additionally by fixing phantoms at both sides of phantom. The acquired imaged at a were reconstructed by applying the iterative reconstruction method (iteration: 2, subset: 28) as well as attenuation correction using the CT, and then VOI was drawn on each image plane so as to measure CT number and SUV and comparatively analyze axial uniformity (A.U=Standard deviation/Average SUV) of PET images. Results: It was found from the above phantom test that, when comparing two cases of whether Teflon insert was fixed or removed, the CT number of cylinder increased from -5.76 HU to 0 HU, while SUV decreased from 24.64 to 24.29 and A.U from 0.064 to 0.052. And the CT number of background water was identified to increase from -6.14 HU to -0.43 HU, whereas SUV decreased from 6.3 to 5.6 and A.U also decreased from 0.12 to 0.10. In addition, as for the patient image, CT number was verified to increase from 53.09 HU to 58.31 HU and SUV decreased from 24.96 to 21.81 when the patient's arm was positioned over the head rather than when it was lowered. Conclusion: When arms up protocol was applied, the SUV of phantom and patient image was decreased by 1.4% and 9.2% respectively. With the present study it was concluded that in case of PET/CT scanning against the whole body of a patient the position of patient's arm was not so much significant. Especially, the scanning under the condition that the arm is raised over to the head gives rise to more probability that the patient is likely to move due to long scanning time that causes the increase of uptake of $^{18}F$-FDG of brown fat at the shoulder part together with increased pain imposing to the shoulder and discomfort to a patient. As regarding consideration all of such factors, it could be rationally drawn that PET/CT scanning could be made with the arm of the subject lowered.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.12-25
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• 2000

To demonstrate possible influences of general bone density on the mandible, histomorphometric analysis was carried out in mandibles and iliac bones and the correlation of the two bone densities was tested. Comparison of bony density in women and men over 60 years in the mandible was carried out too. Quantitative computed tomography(QCT) was taken in cross-section of mandibles at the same site where histomorphometric analysis was peformed to evaluate the reliability of QCT. The analysis included 40 cadavers with no known diseases affecting the bones. The subjects consisted of 15 females and 25 males with a mean age of 60.3 years. Spearman correlation analysis and Wilcoxon rank sum test was performed. The results were as follows. 1. There was statistically no correlation between the mandible and iliac bone in the values of corrected cortical width(CCW), cortical porosity(POR) in cortex, and total bone volume(TBV), mean trabecular plate thickness(MTPT), mean trabecular plate density(MTPD), and mean trabecular plate separation(MTPS) in trabecular bone. 2. Comparison of women and men over 60 years, men had statistically higher bone density than women except fir POR of buccal and lingual cortex, and WTPD of alveolar trabeculae in mandible. 3. There was statistically significant correlation between TBV of trabecular bone and CT No., but not between POR and CT No. in mandible. According to the results above, there was no correlation between mandible and iliac bone density and between mandibular bony density and age. Further studies are required to support the results. A more noninvasive method to be able to measure the bone density of mandible should be developed and it is necessary to accumulate data on the normal values of bone density of mandible according to age and sex. Further study should be carried out about QCT to measure mandibular bony density using QCT.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.31-36
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study was to elucidate the anatomical development of physiologic suture closure processes in infants using three dimensional reconstructed computed tomography (CT). Methods : A consecutive series of 243 infants under 12 months of age who underwent three dimensional CT were included in this study. Four major cranial sutures (sagittal, coronal, lambdoidal and metopic suture) were classified into four suture closure grades (grade 0=no closure along the whole length, grade 1=partial or intermittent closure, grade 2=complete closure with visible suture line, grade 3=complete fusion (ossification) without visible suture line), and measured for its closure degree (suture closure rates; defined as percentage of the length of closed suture line divided by the total length of suture line). Results : Suture closure grade under 12 months of age comprised of grade 0 (n=195, 80.2%), grade 1 (n=24, 9.9%) and grade 2 (n=24, 9.9%) in sagittal sutures, whereas in metopic sutures they were grade 0 (n=61, 25.1%), grade 1 (n=167, 68.7%), grade 2 (n=6, 24%) and grade 3 (n=9, 3.7%). Mean suture closure rates under 12 months of age was 58.8% in metopic sutures, followed by coronal (right : 43.8%, left : 41.1%), lambdoidal (right : 27.2%, left : 25.6%) and sagittal sutures (15.6%), respectively. Conclusion : These quantitative descriptions of cranial suture closure may help understand the process involved in the cranial development of Korean infants.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• 제16권7호
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• pp.905-917
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• 2022

This study was conducted to evaluate the use of the MAR function and the image quality of the image when examining with each radiation dose. A simple Periapical phantom was made to set up an implant, and images were obtained and analyzed according to the presence or absence of MAR function for each radiation dose using CBCT equipment. In this study, MEAN, SNR, and CNR values were obtained using the Image J program, and through statistical analysis, images were the most quantitative and suitable values when the Abutment of Implant was 100 kVp and 8 mA, and when the Center of Implant and Apex of Implant were 100 kVp and 9 mA. As a result, it was confirmed that if the radiation dose increased, the Pixel Value, SNR, and CNR values of the image rose up so that the quality of the image improved, and using the MAR function reduced artifacts.

• Journal of the Korea Computer Graphics Society
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.11-19
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• 2022

Recently, various researches on medical image generation have been suggested, and it becomes crucial to accurately evaluate the quality and diversity of the generated medical images. For this purpose, the expert's visual turing test, feature distribution visualization, and quantitative evaluation through IS and FID are evaluated. However, there are few methods for quantitatively evaluating medical images in terms of fidelity and diversity. In this paper, images are generated by learning a chest CT dataset of non-small cell lung cancer patients through DCGAN and PGGAN generative models, and the performance of the two generative models are evaluated in terms of fidelity and diversity. The performance is quantitatively evaluated through IS and FID, which are one-dimensional score-based evaluation methods, and Precision and Recall, Improved Precision and Recall, which are two-dimensional score-based evaluation methods, and the characteristics and limitations of each evaluation method are also analyzed in medical imaging.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.28.1-28.11
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• 2024

Background: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection is ubiquitous around the world. Diagnosis of the porcine circovirus-associated disease requires clinic-pathological elements together with the quantification of viral loads. Furthermore, given pig farms in regions lacking access to sufficient laboratory equipment, developing diagnostic devices with high accuracy, accessibility, and affordability is a necessity. Objectives: This study aims to investigate two newly developed diagnostic tools that may satisfy these criteria. Methods: We collected 250 specimens, including 170 PCV2-positive and 80 PCV2-negative samples. The standard diagnosis and cycle threshold (Ct) values were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Then, two point-of-care (POC) diagnostic platforms, convective polymerase chain reaction (cPCR, qualitative assay: positive or negative results are shown) and EZtargex (quantitative assay: Ct values are shown), were examined and analyzed. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of cPCR were 88.23% and 100%, respectively; the sensitivity and specificity of EZtargex were 87.65% and 100%, respectively. These assays also showed excellent concordance compared with the qPCR assay (κ = 0.828 for cPCR and κ = 0.820 for EZtargex). The statistical analysis showed a great diagnostic power of the EZtargex assay to discriminate between samples with different levels of positivity. Conclusions: The two point-of-care diagnostic platforms are accurate, rapid, convenient and require little training for PCV2 diagnosis. These POC platforms can discriminate viral loads to predict the clinical status of the animals. The current study provided evidence that these diagnostics were applicable with high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of PCV2 infection in the field.