• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.513-514
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• 2006

Recently intradiscal electrothermal therapy is introduced, which is a new and minimally invasive technique fer the treatment of discogenic low back pain. This procedure involves the percutaneous threading of a flexible catheter into the disc under fluoroscopic guidance. The catheter, composed of thermal resistive coil, heats the posterior annulus of the disc, causing contraction of collagen fibers and destruction of afferent nociceptors. This study tries to investigate the effects of the important factors of this procedure such as heat source temperature and heat applying time on the temperature distribution within the intervertebral disc. This study utilized both computer simulation and the experiment for the verification of finite element analysis. FE analysis was carried out with ANSYS v7.0 (ANSYS Inc, USA) using 10,980 number of brick element and 12,551 number of node. The functional spinal units of 5 month old swine were used for the experiment and the temperature was monitored using 10 channel temperature measurement device MV200. Through this study, it was able to analyze the temperature range of inner intervertebral disc by two mechanisms which are known to alleviate pain clinically. The results showed that when the heat source temperature was kept up 80 degree for 1,020 seconds, the temperature of inner annulus reached at 45 degree up to the distance of 15.6mm from heat source, which explains coagulation of inner annulus by heat. When the same heat source was used, the temperature of inner nucleus reached at 60 degree up to the distance of 9mm from heat source, which explains contraction of inner nucleus by heat.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2013

Purpose : This study was conducted for the purpose of finding out of effects Eating training on patients with swallowing disorder caused by stroke to their swallowing functions. Method : 29 subjects were selected and the divided into two groups. Group 1 is consist of 14 patients under eating training group and Group 2 is consist of 15 patients each group has five times per week. 30 minuted per time covering 12-week period. Selected patients can swallow them selves without aspiration and basically eating trainings involve Thermal Tactile Stimulation(TTS), Shaker exercise, tongue movements, laryngeal mobilization exercise. MASA(The Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability)and VFSS(Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study) was carried out to find out effects of training. And We use FDS(Functional Dysphagia Scale) for VFSS to more objective score. Result : Through the results of this study was increase in Eating performance skill actual eating training group than the practiceless group. Therefore, the actual eating training is to improve the swallowing function and It will be useful in clinical intervention for stroke patients. Conclusion : Through the results of this study was increase in Eating performance skill actual eating training group than the practice less group. Therefore, the actual eating training is to improve the swallowing function and It will be useful in clinical intervention for stroke patients.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2004

The tinnitus which is the one of the auditory disease is a phenomenon that the patients feel the sound in the ear or the head when there is no sound sources. There have been many therapies for this tinnitus so far, but it is known that the TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy) is the most effective therapy. So we designed and developed the controllable white noise generator for TRT. It must be designed as small as possible for user's convenience, such as the ITE (In The Ear) type hearing aids. It used the thermal noise as the white noise source. And filter and tone control circuits are used at the end of the noise generation part to control the white noise characteristics. This link of the controllable circuits is used to change the white noise's characteristic for the various tinnitus patients' characteristic. we can confirm that the designed and implemented controllable white noise generator which is a ITE type operates properly by the experiments of filter and tone control circuit.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.114-117
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• 2017

A 42-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with complaints of low back pain and intermittent right thigh pain. Twelve weeks before admission, the patient received intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) at a local hospital. The patient still reported low back pain after the procedure that was managed with narcotic analgesics. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, and his referring physician thought the likely diagnosis was spondylodiscitis at the L4-5 spinal segment with a small epidural abscess. At admission to our department, the patient reported aggravated low back pain. Blood test results, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels, were slightly elevated. Biopsy samples of the L4, L5 vertebral bodies and disk were obtained. The material underwent aerobic, anaerobic, fungal, mycobacterial cultures and histologic examination. Results of all cultures were negative. Histologically, necrosis of the bone was evident from the number of empty osteocyte lacunae. In addition, there was no evidence of infection based on biopsy results. No antibiotic treatment was administered on discharge. Repeat computed tomography and MRI performed 12 months after IDET showed a bony defect in the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies, and a decrease in the size of the L4-5 intervertebral disc lesion. We report a case of lumbar vertebral osteonecrosis induced by IDET and discuss etiology and radiologic features.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2014

Palliative care for cancer aims to relieve the discomfort and pain from the cancer itself and associated conditions. Gastrointestinal cancers originate from the tube like structure of gastrointestinal tract and cause complications such as obstruction, bleeding, adhesion, invasion, and perforation to adjacent organ. Recent advances in interventional endoscopy enables endoscopy physicians to do safe and effective care for gastrointestinal cancer patients. Endoscopic palliation includes stent, hemostasis, nutritional support and targeted drug delivery. Self expandable metallic stent is one of the most important modalities in gastrointestinal palliation. Through the endoscopy or over the wire pre-placed by endoscopy, stents restore the gastrointestinal luminal patency and relieve the obstructive condition. Endoscopic hemostasis is another important palliation in gastrointestinal cancer patients. Epinephrine injection, argon plasma coagulation and thermal cauterization are usual modalities for hemostasis. Histoacryl glue and fibrin glue are also available. Hemostatic nanopowder spray is newly reported effective in benign disease and is supposed to be effective also in cancer bleeding. Enteral feeding tubes including gastro- or jejunostomy and nosoduodenal tubes are placed by using endoscopic guidance. Enteral feeding tubes role as the route of easily absorbable or semi-digested nutrients and effectively maintain both patients calorie requirements and gut microenvironment. Photodynamic therapy is the one of the outstanding medical employments of photo-physics. Especially for superficial cancers in esophagus, photodynamic therapy is very useful in cancer removal and maintaining organ structure. In biliary neoplasm, photodynamic therapy is well known to be effective in cancer ablation and biliary ductal patency restoration. Targeted drug delivery is the lastest issue in palliative endoscopy. Debates and questions are still on the table. In this article, the role of endoscopic interventions in palliative care for the gastrointestinal tumors will be thoroughly reviewed.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.285-290
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• 2017

Radiofrequency catheter ablation is the interventional therapy that be employed to eliminate cardiac tissue caused by arrhythmias. During radiofrequency catheter ablation, The thrombus can occur at electrode tip if the temperature of tissue and electrode is excess $100^{\circ}C$. To prevent this phenomenon, we investigated numerical model of electrode for radiofrequency catheter ablation considering saline irrigation and temperature-controlled radiofrequency system. The numerical model is based on coupled electric-thermal-flow problem and solved by COMSOL Multiphysics software. The results of the models show that the dimensions of the thermal lesion are increased if the flow rate of the saline irrigation and the set temperature are increased. The surface width characterized to determine the thermal lesion isn't need to measure in temperature-controlled radiofrequency system due to convective heat transfer by saline irrigation at tissue-electrode interface.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.1-14
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• 2006

Objectives : We implemented the Moxa-Extract Moxibustion Method in order to improve the conventional moxibustion therapy. This method is aimed to eliminate burning wounds and smoke, which are the defects of conventional moxibustion therapy. And we performed to verify the efficiency by comparing the Moxa-Extract Moxibustion Method with the conventional Indirect Moxibustion Method. We measured the body heat and the lasting time of blood circulation improveent using thermography. We implemented the Moxa-Extract Moxibustion Method in order to improve the conventional moxibustion therapy. This method is aimed to eliminate burning wounds and smoke, which are the defects of conventional moxibustion therapy. And we performed to verify the efficiency by comparing the Moxa-Extract Moxibustion Method with the conventional Indirect Moxibustion Method. We measured the body heat and the lasting time of blood circulation improvement using thermography. Methods : The moxibustion therapy has two kinds of effects: The formers are pharmacological effects of the Moxa's vasodilators and antioxidants. The latters are thermal effects which cause improvement of the blood circulation. To remove the demerits without omission of above therapeutic effects, we extracted the vasodilators and antioxidant compounds from the Moxa-CH2Cl2 fraction Moxa-EtOA and composed the moxibustion kit with (Ba0.8 Sr0.2)0.996 Y0.004 TiO2 + 0.5WT SiO2% positive Temperature Coefficients Thermistor. The experimental demonstrations have been made by the stimulating the spot which is CV4(Kwan-Won), CV8(Shin-Guel), CV12(Jung-Wan) acupuncture points of the conception vessel meridian(CV). And stimulating time was one hour. We divided the subjects into 5 groups such as no stimulation group, conventional Indirect Moxibustion group, only Moxa-Extract stimulation group, only heat stimulation group, and Moxa-Extract Moxibustion group. In the different cases, we have measured the body heat in pre-stimulation, just after stimulation, 2 hours after, and 4 hours after. Results : he body heats of the group who were stimulated by the Moxa-Extract Moxibustion method were increased by over the $2^{\circ}C$. And the body heats of the group who were stimulated by the Indirect Moxibustion Method were increased by average the $1^{\circ}C$. We have evaluated that the Moxa-Extract Moxibustion Method is improvement on the Indirect Moxibustion Method by the increasing rate is 200% and increasing time is 150% with the body heat of the abdominal region. Conclusion : We have implemented the Moxa-Extract Moxibustion Method and evaluated the efficiency of the Moxa-Extract Moxibustion Method comparing with the Indirect Moxibustion Method.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.897-903
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• 2015

In this paper, the contrast therapy of skin was numerically investigated by solving the conjugate heat transfer problem. A finite volume method based on the SIMPLE algorithm was adopted to solve the axisymmetric incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, coupled with an energy equation. These equations are strongly coupled with the Pennes bio-heat equation in order to consider the effect of blood perfusion rate. We investigated the thermal response of skin at some selected depths for various input temperature profiles of a stimulator for contrast therapy. From the numerical simulations, the regions with cold/hot threshold temperatures were found for five input temperature profiles. It was shown that the temperature varies mildly for different input profiles as the depth increases, owing to the Pennes effect. The input temperatures for effective hot/cold stimulation of dermis layer were found to be $47^{\circ}C$ and $7^{\circ}C$, respectively. The present numerical results will be used for finding an optimal temperature profile of a stimulator for contrast therapy.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 2017

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report a case of traditional Korean Medicine effect on a patient with rhabdomyolysis who appealed leg pain, numbness and weakness. Methods : A patient received traditional Korean Medicine including acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and cupping therapy daily. We evaluated the clinical results by observing the patient's symptoms, NRS(Numerical Rating Scale), MMT(Manual Muscle Test) grade and DITI(Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging). Results : After traditional Korean Medicine, the patient's pain and numbness decreased from NRS 10 to 1~2 and weakness improved from Gr3- to Gr4. And CPK(creatine phosphokinase) numerical value decreased from 330(IU/L) to 164 and body heat status improved. Conclusions : Traditional Korean Medicine can be effective in reducing rhabdomyolysis patients' symptoms and changing examination numerical value. And further studies on traditional Korean Medicine of rhabdomyolysis should be carried out.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.701-710
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• 2017

In this study, the thermoelastic beam in modified couple stress theory due to laser source and heat flux is investigated. The beam are heated by a non-Guassian laser pulse and heat flux. The Euler Bernoulli beam theory and the Laplace transform technique are applied to solve the basic equations for coupled thermoelasticity. The simply-supported and isothermal boundary conditions are assumed for both ends of the beam. A general algorithm of the inverse Laplace transform is developed. The analytical results have been numerically analyzed with the help of MATLAB software. The numerically computed results for lateral deflection, thermal moment and axial stress due to laser source and heat flux have been presented graphically. Some comparisons have been shown in figures to estimate the effects of couple stress on the physical quantities. A particular case of interest is also derived. The study of laser-pulse find many applications in the field of biomedical, imaging processing, material processing and medicine with regard to diagnostics and therapy.