• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.171-180
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to install a system that compensated for the respiration motion using an articulated robotic manipulator couch which enables a wide range of motions that a Stewart platform cannot provide and to evaluate the performance of various prediction algorithms including proposed algorithm. For that purpose, we built a miniature couch tracking system comprising an articulated robotic manipulator, 3D optical tracking system, a phantom that mimicked respiratory motion, and control software. We performed simulations and experiments using respiratory data of 12 patients to investigate the feasibility of the system and various prediction algorithms, namely linear extrapolation (LE) and double exponential smoothing (ES2) with averaging methods. We confirmed that prediction algorithms worked well during simulation and experiment, with the ES2-averaging algorithm showing the best results. The simulation study showed 43% average and 49% maximum improvement ratios with the ES2-averaging algorithm, and the experimental study with the $QUASAR^{TM}$ phantom showed 51% average and 56% maximum improvement ratios with this algorithm. Our results suggest that the articulated robotic manipulator couch system with the ES2-averaging prediction algorithm can be widely used in the field of radiation therapy, providing a highly efficient and utilizable technology that can enhance the therapeutic effect and improve safety through a noninvasive approach.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.117-124
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• 2016

Intrafractional motion of patients, such as respiratory motion during radiation treatment, is an important issue in image-guided radiotherapy. The accuracy of the radiation treatment decreases as the motion range increases. We developed a control system for a robotic patient immobilization system that enables to reduce the range of tumor motion by compensating the tumor motion. Fusion technology, combining robotics and mechatronics, was developed and applied in this study. First, a small-sized prototype was established for use with an industrial miniature robot. The patient immobilization system consisted of an optical tracking system, a robotic couch, a robot controller, and a control program for managing the system components. A multi speed and position control mechanism with three degrees of freedom was designed. The parameters for operating the control system, such as the coordinate transformation parameters and calibration parameters, were measured and evaluated for a prototype device. After developing the control system using the prototype device, a feasibility test on a full-scale patient immobilization system was performed, using a large industrial robot and couch. The performances of both the prototype device and the realistic device were evaluated using a respiratory motion phantom, for several patterns of respiratory motion. For all patterns of motion, the root mean squared error of the corresponding detected motion trajectories were reduced by more than 40%. The proposed system improves the accuracy of the radiation dose delivered to the target and reduces the unwanted irradiation of normal tissue.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.504-512
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• 2022

To examine the distribution of internal solar radiation within various locations in multi-span greenhouses, the solar radiation, light transmittance, and accumulated radiation at the central and lateral sections were analyzed by dividing 8:30 to 12:30 in the morning and 12:35 to 16:30 in the afternoon. The growth and yield of tomatoes within these sections were also compared. In the morning, the solar radiation of the central section and the side section was 275.2 W·m^-2 and 314.9 W·m^-2, while in the afternoon, it was 314.9 W·m^-2 and 313.9 W·m^-2, respectively. The light transmittance and accumulated radiation were also low, confirming the low distribution of solar radiation in the central (connecting) section of the multi-span greenhouses. The growth survey revealed no significant difference. The final yield of tomatoes per plant was 4,828 g in the central section and 4,851 g in the lateral section, but there was no significant difference in the central section compared to the lateral section by 0.5%. However, the amount of solar radiation as per time in the central section is higher than the light compensation point, 60 W·m^-2, and slightly lower than the light saturation point of tomatoes, i.e., 281 W·m^-2. The results of this study can help in greenhouse design based on the insolation environment.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 2011

Background: Pulmonary emphysema (PE) is major cause of obstructive pulmonary function impairment (OPFI), which is diagnosed by spirometry. PE by high resolution CT is known to be correlated with OPFI. Recently, low dose CT (LDCT) has been increasingly used for screening interstitial lung diseases including PE. The aim of this study was to evaluate OPFI risks of subjects with PE detected by LDCT compared with those detected by simple digital radiography (SDR). Methods: LDCT and spirometry were administered to 266 inorganic dust exposed retired workers, from May 30, 2007 to August 31, 2008. This study was approved by our institutional review board and informed consent was obtained. OPFI risk was defined as less than 0.7 of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC), and relative risk (RR) of OPFI of PE was calculated by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 266 subjects, PE was found in 28 subjects (10.5%) by LDCT and in 11 subjects (4.1%) by SDR; agreement was relatively low (kappa value=0.32, p<0.001). FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were significantly different between PE and no PE groups determined by either SDR or LDCT. The differences between groups were larger when the groups were divided by the findings of SDR. When PE was present in either LDCT or SDR assays, the RRs of OPFI were 2.34 and 8.65, respectively. Conclusion: LDCT showed significantly higher sensitivity than SDR for detecting PE, especially low grade PE, in which pulmonary function is not affected. As a result, the OPFI risks in the PE group by LDCT was lower than that in the PE group by SDR.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.743-746
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• 2019

In this paper we proposed a new ocean radiation automatic monitoring system. The proposed system has the following characteristics: First, using NaI + PVT mixed detectors, the response speed is fast and precision analysis is possible. Second, the application of temperature compensation algorithm to scintillator-type sensors does not require additional cooling devices and enables stable operation in the changing ocean environment. Third, since cooling system is not needed, electricity consumption is low, and electricity can be supplied reliably by utilizing solar energy, which can be installed at the observation deck of ocean environment. Fourth, using GPS and wireless communications, accurate location information and real-time data transmission function for measurement areas enables immediate warning response in the event of nuclear accidents such as those involving neighboring countries. The results tested by the authorized testing agency to assess the performance of the proposed system were measured in the range of $5{\mu}Sv/h$ to 15mSv/h, which is the highest level in the world, and the accuracy was determined to be ${\pm}8.1%$, making normal operation below the international standard ${\pm}15%$. The internal environmental grade (waterproof) was achieved, and the rate of variation was measured within 5% at operating temperature of $-20^{\circ}C$ to $50^{\circ}C$ and stability was verified. Since the measured value change rate was measured within 10% after the vibration test, it was confirmed that there will be no change in the measured value due to vibration in the ocean environment caused by waves.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.255-262
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• 2014

During image-guided radiation therapy, the patient is exposed to unwanted radiation from imaging devices built into the medical LINAC. In the present study, the effective dose delivered to a patient from a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) machine was measured. Absorbed doses in specific organs listed in ICRP Publication 103 were measured with glass dosimeters calibrated with kilovolt (kV) X-rays using a whole body physical phantom for typical radiotherapy sites, including the head and neck, chest, and pelvis. The effective dose per scan for the head and neck, chest, and pelvis were $3.37{\pm}0.29$, $7.36{\pm}0.33$, and $4.09{\pm}0.29$ mSv, respectively. The results highlight the importance of the compensation of treatment dose by managing imaging dose.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.123-132
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• 1989

A radiation beam incident on an irregular or sloping surface produces the non-uniformity of absorded dose. The use of a tissue compensator can partially correct this dose inhomogeneity. The tissue compensator is designed based on the patient's three dimensional contour. After required compensator thickness was determined according to tissue deficit at $25cm\pm25cm$ field size, 10cm depth for 6MV x-rays, tissue deficit was mapped by isoheight technique using laser beam system. Compensator was constructed along the designed model using 0.8mm lead sheet or 5mm acryl plate. Dosimetric verification were peformed by film dosimetry using humanoid phantom. Dosimetric measurements were normalized to central axis full phantom readings for both compensated and non-compensated field. Without compensation, the percent differences in absorbed dose ranged as high as $12.1\%$ along transverse axis, $10.8\%$ along vertical axis. With the tissue compensators in place, the difference was reduced to $0\~43\%$ Therefore, it can be concluded that the compensator system constructed by isoheihnt technique can produce good dose distribution with acceptible inhomogeneity, and such compensator system can be effectively applied to clinical radiotherapy.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.279-285
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• 2016

The space radiation dose over air routes including polar routes should be carefully considered, especially when space weather shows sudden disturbances such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), flares, and accompanying solar energetic particle events. We recently established a heliocentric potential (HCP) prediction model for real-time operation of the CARI-6 and CARI-6M programs. Specifically, the HCP value is used as a critical input value in the CARI-6/6M programs, which estimate the aviation route dose based on the effective dose rate. The CARI-6/6M approach is the most widely used technique, and the programs can be obtained from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, HCP values are given at a one month delay on the FAA official webpage, which makes it difficult to obtain real-time information on the aviation route dose. In order to overcome this critical limitation regarding the time delay for space weather customers, we developed a HCP prediction model based on sunspot number variations (Hwang et al. 2015). In this paper, we focus on improvements to our HCP prediction model and update it with neutron monitoring data. We found that the most accurate method to derive the HCP value involves (1) real-time daily sunspot assessments, (2) predictions of the daily HCP by our prediction algorithm, and (3) calculations of the resultant daily effective dose rate. Additionally, we also derived the HCP prediction algorithm in this paper by using ground neutron counts. With the compensation stemming from the use of ground neutron count data, the newly developed HCP prediction model was improved.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 1976

An investigation on the effect of electrostatic drift field which can bring an additional aid to the photogenerated carrier collection in one side of the silicon solar cell has been carried out. The drift field was produced by the gradient of boron concentration in the p-type side in virtue of the strain compensation due to the tin dopant. A new method of ion implantation which is based on the principle of chiefly radiation-enhanced diffusion is adopted for forming the p-n junction in the solar cell. The open circuit voltage and the conversion efficiency of the ion-implanted silicon solar cell sample can be figured out to be 0.44 V and 5%, respectively.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 1975

The n-type germanium crystals have been irradiated by $^{60}$ Co gamma-ray with 647 Mrad at room temperature for compensation. The Ge(${\gamma}$) detectors were fabricated from the gamma-ray irradiated germanium single crystals. The detector characteristics of the Ge (${\gamma}$) detectors were comparable to those of thin Ge(Li) detectors and high purity germanium detectors. The thermal stability of the Ge (${\gamma}$) detector showed a feasibility for ambient temperature storage.