• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.423-428
• /
• 2007

Programmable FIR filters are used in various signal processing tasks in medical ultrasound imaging, which are one of the major factors increasing hardware complexity. A widely used method to reduce the hardware complexity of a programmable FIR filter is to encode the filter coefficients in the canonic signed digit (CSD) format to minimize the number of nonzero digits (NZD) so that the multipliers for each filter coefficients can be replaced with fixed shifters and programmable multiplexers (PM). In this paper, a new structure for programmable FIR filters with a improved frequency response and a reduced hardware complexity compared to the conventional shift-and-add architecture using PM is proposed for implementing a very small portable ultrasound scanner. The CSD codes are optimized such that there exists at least one common nonzero digit between neighboring coefficients. Such common digits are then implemented with the same shifters. For comparison, synthesisable VHDL models for programmable FIR filters are developed based on the proposed and the conventional architectures. When these filters have the same hardware complexity, pass-band ana stop-band ripples of the proposed filter are lower than those of the conventional filter by about $0.01{\sim}0.19dB$ and by about $5{\sim}10dB$, respectively. For the same filter performance, the hardware complexity of the proposed architecture is reduced by more than 20% compare to the conventional SaA architecture.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.95-101
• /
• 2018

Objective: To determine if the provision of visual biofeedback using real-time rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) enhances the acquisition and retention of diaphragm muscle recruitment during exercise. Design: Two group pretest posttest design. Methods: Thirty healthy subjects were randomly assigned to the verbal feedback group (VG, n=15) or the visual and verbal feedback group (VVG, n=15). The VG performed breathing exercises 10 times with verbal feedback, and the VVG also performed breathing exercises 10 times with verbal feedback and visual feedback with the use of RUSI to measure changes in diaphragm thickness (DT). For DT, the mid-axillary lines between ribs 8 and 9 on both sides were measured in standing, and then the chest wall was perpendicularly illuminated using a linear transducer with the patients in supine to observe the region between rib 8 and 9 and to obtain 2-dimensional images. DT was measured as the distance between the two parallel lines that appeared bright in the middle of the pleura and the peritoneum. After one week, three repetitions (follow-up session) were performed to confirm retention effects. Intra- and between- group percent changes in diaphragm muscle thickness were assessed. Results: In the VVG, the intervention value had a medium effect size compared to the baseline value, but the follow-up value decreased to a small effect size. In the between-group comparisons, during the intervention session, the VVG showed no significant effect on percent change of DT but had a medium effect size compared to the VG (p=0.050, Cohen's d=0.764). During the follow-up session, retention effect did not persist (p=0.311, Cohen's d=0.381). Conclusions: RUSI can be used to provide visual biofeedback and improve performance and retention in the ability to activate the diaphragm muscle in healthy subjects. Future research needs to establish a protocol for respiratory intervention to maintain the effect of diaphragmatic breathing training using RUSI with visual feedback.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.158-164
• /
• 2011

Breast cancer is the most frequently appearing cancer in women, these days. To reduce mortality of breast cancer, periodic check-up is strongly recommended. X-ray mammography is one of powerful diagnostic imaging systems to detect 50~100 um micro-calcification which is the early sign of breast cancer. Although x-ray mammography has very high spatial resolution, it is not easy yet to distinguish cancerous tissue from normal tissues in mammograms and new tissue characterizing methods are required. Recently ultrasound elastography technique has been developed, which uses the phenomenon that cancerous tissue is harder than normal tissues. However its spatial resolution is not enough to detect breast cancer. In order to develop a new elastography system with high resolution we are developing x-ray elasticity imaging technique. It uses the small differences of tissue positions with and without external breast compression and requires an algorithm to detect tissue displacement. In this paper, computer simulation is done for preliminary study of x-ray elasticity imaging. First, 3D x-ray breast phantom for modeling woman's breast is created and its elastic model for FEM (finite element method) is generated. After then, FEM experiment is performed under the compression of the breast phantom. Using the obtained displacement data, 3D x-ray phantom is deformed and the final mammogram under the compression is generated. The simulation result shows the feasibility of x-ray elasticity imaging. We think that this preliminary study is helpful for developing and verifying a new algorithm of x-ray elasticity imaging.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.24 no.1 s.173
• /
• pp.196-205
• /
• 2000

Computed Tomography (CT), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MR1) and some ultrasound techniques make it possible to obtain cross sections of human body or mechanical parts. In CAD system, a series of sectional surfaces can also be obtained from solid models of 3D objects. In this paper we introduce a tetrahedral meshing algorithm from these series of general sections using basic operators. In this scheme. general sections of three-dimensional object are triangulated first and side surfaces between two sections are triangulated by the use of tiling process. Finally tetrahedral meshing process is performed on each layer of 3D objects, which is composed of two general sections and one side surface.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.798-802
• /
• 2007

The synthetic focusing in the ultrasonic imaging systems has been formed in the way that one element transmits a circular wave and receives an echo signal. The amplitude of the signal transmitted from one element is too small to propagate a long distance so that the SNR(Signal to Noise Ratio) is very low in an image obtained by the synthetic focusing. To solve this problem, a defocusing method which uses several elements has been proposed. In this method, the SNR is improved due to using several elements to transmit the circular wave. But if the number of transmitting elements increases, the phase distortion is severe in the defocusing method. In this paper, we propose a new method that can generate a circular wave using a lot of elements without phase distortion. At first, we generate limited plane waves with different propagation angles and then superpose them to make a circular wave. We show that the circular wave can be used to improve SNR in the real-time 3D ultrasonic imaging as well as the synthetic focusing through computer simulation and experiments.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 1999.07g
• /
• pp.3178-3180
• /
• 1999

초음파 진단기의 신호처리에 필요한 8-b 해상도와 40MS/s 이상의 변환속도를 갖는 ADC를 Folding and Interpolating 형태로 설계했다. 전력소모와 입력단의 오프셋에 의한 영향을 줄이기 위해 프리엠프의 출력을 Interpolation하여 그 개수를 절반으로 줄임으로써 전력소모를 줄였고, 기존의 전압모드 Interpolation 회로에서의 단순한 source follower를 정궤환을 이용한 버퍼의 형태로 바꾸어 이득을 개선시킴으로써 전압의 이용율을 높일 수 있었다. ADC에서 가장 중요한 비교기를 설계함에 있어서는 다이나믹 전력 소모만 있는 구조에 킥-백 노이즈를 줄이기 위한 설계를 했다 $0.6{\mu}m$ CMOS 공정을 이용해 설계되었고, Layout 결과 칩의 면적은 $1.3mm{\times}1.3mm$. 모의 실험결과 40MS/s에서 70mw의 전력을 소모하였다.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.24 no.11
• /
• pp.1102-1113
• /
• 2023

Objective: To elucidate the use of radiological studies, including nuclear medicine, and biopsy for the diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer (PCA) in clinical practice and understand the current status of PCA in Asian countries via an international survey. Materials and Methods: The Asian Prostate Imaging Working Group designed a survey questionnaire with four domains focused on prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), other prostate imaging, prostate biopsy, and PCA backgrounds. The questionnaire was sent to 111 members of professional affiliations in Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan who were representatives of their working hospitals, and their responses were analyzed. Results: This survey had a response rate of 97.3% (108/111). The rates of using 3T scanners, antispasmodic agents, laxative drugs, and prostate imaging-reporting and data system reporting for prostate MRI were 21.6%-78.9%, 22.2%-84.2%, 2.3%-26.3%, and 59.5%-100%, respectively. Respondents reported using the highest b-values of 800-2000 sec/mm² and fields of view of 9-30 cm. The prostate MRI examinations per month ranged from 1 to 600, and they were most commonly indicated for biopsy-naïve patients suspected of PCA in Japan and Singapore and staging of proven PCA in Korea and Taiwan. The most commonly used radiotracers for prostate positron emission tomography are prostate-specific membrane antigen in Singapore and fluorodeoxyglucose in three other countries. The most common timing for prostate MRI was before biopsy (29.9%). Prostate-targeted biopsies were performed in 63.8% of hospitals, usually by MRI-ultrasound fusion approach. The most common presentation was localized PCA in all four countries, and it was usually treated with radical prostatectomy. Conclusion: This survey showed the diverse technical details and the availability of imaging and biopsy in the evaluation of PCA. This suggests the need for an educational program for Asian radiologists to promote standardized evidence-based imaging approaches for the diagnosis and staging of PCA.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.175-182
• /
• 2016

For application to several MHz photoacoustic imaging systems, a needle hydrophone was designed and fabricated by using PMN-PZT piezoelectric single crystal, and its characteristics were evaluated through comparison with a commercial PVDF(Polybinylidene Fluoride) hydrophone of which receiving sensitivity is known. The simulation using the KLM model results show that the peak receiving impulse response for $50{\Omega}$ terminating impedance of the fabricated hydrophone is -261.6 dB re $1V/{\mu}Pa$ and the frequency response is relatively flat over 2 ~ 12 MHz with fluctuation less than 5 dB. The measurement results using tone burst signals also show that it has higher (ave. 10.9 dB) sensitivity than the commercial hydrophone in 2 ~ 8 MHz, and the receiving sensitivity of $-255.8{\pm}2.8$ dB re $1V/{\mu}Pa$ was measured for the fabricated hydrophone. In addition, it is known that the photoacoustic signals and the image of a hair obtained by a mechanical scanned photoacoustic imaging system with the fabricated hydrophone were bigger and better than those obtained with the commercial hydrophone.

• Proceedings of the Korea Technology Innovation Society Conference
• /
• 2003.05a
• /
• pp.369-388
• /
• 2003

This research has been focused upon and analyzing Medison, once a leading New Technology-Based Firm (NTBF) in Korea with exceptionally advanced technology in 3D ultrasound diagnostic imaging devices (UDIDs) (armored with 23 subsidiaries at its peak expansion), from the perspective if Dynamic Firm Capability(DFC). The underlying hypothesis is that the various problems from its pointless pursuit of the business styles or precedents of the existing large firms might be traced to its specific characteristics as an NTBF, which should have more preferably been based upon the distinctive competences such as differentiated technologies, institutional linkages, organizational routines, and complementary assets, etc. In conclusion, for the NTBFs with different DFC domains from those of the large firms, the optimal external linkages and comprehensive integration efforts (Process) under their specific organizational characteristics and constraints (Path) are highly recommended for the continuous accumulation of their core capabilities based upon the technological assets (Position).

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.228-252
• /
• 2003

This research has been focused upon and analyzing Medison, once a leading New Technology-Based Finn (N1BF) in Korea with exceptionally advanced technology in 3D ultrasound diagnostic imaging devices (UDIDs) (armored with 23 subsidiaries at its peak expansion), from the perspective of Dynamic Finn Capability(DFC). The underlying hypothesis is that the various problems from its pointless pursuit of the business styles or precedents of the existing large firms might be traced to its specific characteristics as an NTBF, which should have more preferably been based upon the distinctive competences such as differentiated technologies, institutional linkages, organizational routines, and complementary assets, etc. In conclusion, for the NTBFs with different DFC domains from those of the large firms, the optimal external linkages and comprehensive integration efforts (Process) under their specific organizational characteristics and constraints (path) are highly recommended for the continuous accumulation of their core capabilities based upon the technological assets (Position).