• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2017

Enlargement of the lateral ventricles have been identified as a surrogate marker of neurological disorders. Quantitative measure of the lateral ventricle from MRI would enable earlier and more accurate clinical diagnosis in monitoring disease progression. Even though it requires an automated or semi-automated segmentation method for objective quantification, it is difficult to define lateral ventricles due to insufficient contrast and brightness of structural imaging. In this study, we proposed a fully automated lateral ventricle segmentation method based on a graph cuts algorithm combined with atlas-based segmentation and connected component labeling. Initially, initial seeds for graph cuts were defined by atlas-based segmentation (ATS). They were adjusted by partial volume images in order to provide accurate a priori information on graph cuts. A graph cuts algorithm is to finds a global minimum of energy with minimum cut/maximum flow algorithm function on graph. In addition, connected component labeling used to remove false ventricle regions. The proposed method was validated with the well-known tools using the dice similarity index, recall and precision values. The proposed method was significantly higher dice similarity index ($0.860{\pm}0.036$, p < 0.001) and recall ($0.833{\pm}0.037$, p < 0.001) compared with other tools. Therefore, the proposed method yielded a robust and reliable segmentation result.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.540-549
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• 2024

Objective: This study investigated the feasibility and prognostic relevance of threshold-based quantification of myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) on CT in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). Materials and Methods: Forty-three patients with NIDCM (59.3 ± 17.1 years; 21 male) were included in the study and underwent cardiac CT and MRI. MDE was quantified manually and with a threshold-based quantification method using cutoffs of 2, 3, and 4 standard deviations (SDs) on three sets of CT images (100 kVp, 120 kVp, and 70 keV). Interobserver agreement in MDE quantification was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement between CT and MRI was evaluated using the Bland-Altman method and the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Patients were followed up for the subsequent occurrence of the primary composite outcome, including cardiac death, heart transplantation, heart failure hospitalization, or appropriate use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate event-free survival according to MDE levels. Results: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was observed in 29 patients (67%, 29/43), and the mean LGE found with the 5-SD threshold was 4.1% ± 3.6%. The 4-SD threshold on 70-keV CT showed excellent interobserver agreement (ICC = 0.810) and the highest concordance with MRI (CCC = 0.803). This method also yielded the smallest bias with the narrowest range of 95% limits of agreement compared to MRI (bias, -0.119%; 95% limits of agreement, -4.216% to 3.978%). During a median follow-up of 1625 days (interquartile range, 712-1430 days), 10 patients (23%, 10/43) experienced the primary composite outcome. Event-free survival significantly differed between risk subgroups divided by the optimal MDE cutoff of 4.3% (log-rank P = 0.005). Conclusion: The 4-SD threshold on 70-keV monochromatic CT yielded results comparable to those of MRI for quantifying MDE as a marker of myocardial fibrosis, which showed prognostic value in patients with NIDCM.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.170-174
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• 1993

The quantitative methods for the assessment of the cerebral blood flow using $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO brain SPECT utilize the measured count distribution in some specific reconstructed tomographic slice or in algebraic summation of a few neighboring slices, rather than the true volumetric distribution, to estimate the relative regional cerebral blood flow, and consequently produce the biased estimates of the true regional cerebral blood flow. This kind of biases are thought to originate mainly from the arbitrarily irregular shape of the cerebral region of interest(ROI) which are analyzed. In this study, a semi-automated method for the direct quantification of the volumetric regional cerebral blood flow estimate is proposed, and the results are compared to those calculated by the previous planar approaches. Bias factors due to the partial volume effect and the uncertainty in ROI determination are not considered presently for the methodological comparison of planar/volumetric assessment protocol.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.132-136
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• 2004

The LAL (Limulus amebocyte lysate) test for the detection and quantification of endotoxin is based on the gelation reaction between endotoxin and LAL from a blood extract of Limulus polyphemus. The test is labor intensive, requiring dedicated personnel, a relatively long reaction time (approximately 1 h), relatively large volumes of samples and reagents and the detection of the end-point is rather subjective. To solve these problems, a miniaturized LOC (lab-on-a-chip) prototype, 62mm (L) ${\times}$ 18 mm (W), was fabricated using PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) bonded to glass. Using this prototype, in which 2mm (W) ${\times}$ 44.3mm (L) ${\times}$ 100 $\mu\textrm{m}$ (D) microfluidic channel was constructed, turbidometric and chromogenic assay detection methods were compared, and the chromogenic method was found the most suitable for a small volume assay. In this assay, the kinetic-point method was more accurate than the end-point method. The PDMS chip thickness was found to be minimized to around 2 mm to allow sufficient light transmittance, which necessitated the use of a glass slide bonding for chip rigidity. Due to this miniaturization, the test time was reduced from 1 h to less than 10 min, and the sample volume could be reduced from 100 to ca. 4.4 ${\mu}$L. In summation, this study suggested that the LOC using the LAL test principle could be an alternative as a semi-automated and reliable method for the detection of endotoxin.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 2001

The bioequivalence of two triflusal products was evaluated with 20 healthy volunteers following single oral dose according to the guidelines of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Trisa $l^{R}$ capsule (Whanin Pharm. Corp., Korea) and Disgre $n^{R}$ capsule (Myung-In Pharm. Corp., Korea) were used as test product and reference product, respectively. Both products contain 300 mg of trifusal. One capsule of test product or reference product was orally administered to the volunteers, respectively, by randomized two period crossover study (2$\times$2 Latin square method). Blood samples were taken at predetermined time intervals for 4 hours and the determination of trifusal was accomplished using semi-microbore HPLC equipped with automated column switching system. The analytical method with HPLC was validated according to the Bioanalytic Method Validation guideline by F7A prior to determining the plasma samples. The pharmacokinetic parameters (AU $C_{0-4h}$ $C_{max}$ and $T_{max}$) were calculated and ANOVA test was utilized for statistical analysis of parameters. As a result of the assay validation, the limit of quantification of trifusal in human plasma by current assay procedure was 50 ng/ml using 500 $\mu$l of plasma. The accuracy of the assay was from 97.76% to 116.51% while the intra-day and inter-day coefficient of variation of the same concentration range was less than 15%. Average drug concentration at the designated time intervals and pharmacokinetic parameters calculated were not significantly different between two products (p>0.05). The difference of mean AU $C_{olongrightarrow4hr}$, $C_{max}$, and $T_{max}$ between the two products (2.92, 4.39, and -2.44%, respectively) were less than 20%. The power (1-$\beta$) and treatment difference ($\Delta$) for AU $C_{olongrightarrow4hr}$ and $C_{max}$ were more than 0.8 and less than 0.2, respectively. Although the power for $T_{max}$ was under 0.8, $T_{max}$ of the two products was not significantly different from each other (p>0.05). These results satisfied the criteria of KFDA guideline for bioequivalence, indicating the two products of triflusal were bioequivalent.quivalent.ent.ent.