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

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.324-330
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to compare the muscle architecture of lower extremity using rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) in young adults in Seoul and Hanoi. Methods: The study design was a comparative study of muscle cross-sectional area of lower extremity. Sixty healthy young subjects (Seoul group: 30, Hanoi group: 30) participated in this study. Real-time B-mode RUSI with a 7.5MHz linear transducer was used for measurement of cross-sectional area, pennation angle, and muscle thickness of the rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, and medial gastrocnemius muscles. Independent t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Significant difference in cross sectional area of rectus femoris was observed between Korean young adults and Hanoi young adults (p<0.01). Muscle thickness and pennation angle of tibialis anterior in Korean young adults were greater than in Hanoi young adults (p<0.01). In addition, the muscle thickness and pennation angle of the medial part of gastrocnemius muscle were greater in Korean young adults than in Hanoi young adults (p<0.01). In addition, in the results for gender, men had larger muscle architectures than women in both groups (p<0.01). Conclusion: This study, using RUSI, showed significant difference in muscle architectures of lower extremity in a diverse group of young adults RUSI.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.211-219
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• 2014

Closed cracks are difficult to detect using conventional ultrasonic testing because most incident ultrasound passes completely through these cracks. Nonlinear ultrasound inspection using sub-harmonic frequencies a promising method for detecting closed cracks. To implement this method, a sub-harmonic phased array (PA) is proposed to visualize the length of closed cracks in solids. A sub-harmonic PA generally consists of a single transmitter and an array receiver, which detects sub-harmonic waves generated from closed cracks. The PA images are obtained using the total focusing method (TFM), which (with a transmitter and receiving array) employs a full matrix in the observation region to achieve fine image resolution. In particular, the receiving signals are measured using a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) to collect PA images for both fundamental and sub-harmonic frequencies. Oblique incidence, which is used to boost sub-harmonic generation, inevitably produces various surface waves that contaminate the signals measured in the receiving transducer. Surface wave interference often degrades PA images severely, and it becomes difficult to read the closed crack's position from the images. Various methods to prevent or eliminate this interference are possible. In particular, enhancing images with signal processing could be a highly cost-effective method. Because periodic patterns distributed in a PA image are the most frequent interference induced by surface waves, spatial frequency filtering is applicable for removing these waves. Experiments clearly demonstrate that the spatial frequency filter improves PA images.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.469-475
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• 2009

Diseases caused by indurate tissues of the internal organs are liver cirrhosis and abdominal sclerosis. The cause of chronic gastro-intestinal disease is a digestive system disorder and a defecation disorder. They impede peristaltic movement and digestive system with the symptom that indurate tissues. The purpose of the present study was to determine the disease grade quantitatively by measuring an indurated standard of tissues and organs. For the measurement of elasticity, we designed the system that measure the displacement of the substance and approved pressure using ultrasound transducer. For verification of developed system, we compared elasticity as results of experiment between the developed system and public elasticity measurement machine at individual plastic phantoms made by plastic hardener and softener. Elasticity of the plastic phantoms is averagely 0.007MPa lower measured by developed system than Micro-indenter, and less than 10% errors. Comparing with economical value and accuracy between developed system and Micro-indenter, the system is significant of measurement for tissue elasticity. Thus, it is possible to measure a elasticity at human tissue and organ. A chronic gastro-disease as well as grade could be decided objective validity using this system.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.114-120
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the status of quality control using multipurpose phantom of ultrasound equipment used in hospital of veterinary college in South Korea by using ATS-539 multipurpose phantom so as to examine quantitative and objective new image evaluation method. Specialists discussed and analyzed multipurpose phantom images acquired by using convex transducer of 10 ultrasound imaging devices, currently used in 9 veterinary colleges, at 4.0-6.0 MHz. Total 8 items that can be measured with ATS-539 multipurpose phantom including dead zone, vertical and horizontal measurement, axial/lateral resolution, sensitivity, focal zone, functional resolution and gray scale/dynamic range were evaluated. For qualitative evaluation, valid decisions were made based on dead zone, axial/lateral resolution, and gray scale/dynamic range which are resolution index, and coefficient of variation (COV) and blind referenceless image spatial quality evaluator (BRISQUE) were found to increase objectivity. As a result of experiment, all the targeted ultrasonic devices were found appropriate from qualitative evaluation items of dead zone, axial/lateral resolution, and gray scale/dynamic range. In other evaluation items, they were found to be appropriate from focal zone and vertical measurement of quantitative evaluation while inappropriate from horizontal measurement, sensitivity, and functional resolution. COV value was 0.12 ± 0.04, and BRISQUE value was 47.77 ± 2.77, both analysis results show that the noise level of all ultrasonic devices was located within tolerance range. Upon image examination using ATS-539 multipurpose phantom, they were 100% appropriate with inspection standards of dead zone, axial/lateral resolution, and gray scale/dynamic range, and besides, focal zone and functional resolution can be used as evaluation items. In the field of veterinary medicine, 8 standard items using ATS-539 multipurpose phantom and image evaluation items using COV and BRISQUE can be used as standards for quality control of ultrasonography machine.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2003

In order to replace the manual ultrasonic testing(UT) with an automated UT(AUT), a scanner which enables us to control the positions of a transducer is essential. Encoders have been commonly used to obtain the position information from the conventional scanners controlled by motor. Encoders have various advantages in many aspects. However, if the slip of motor wheel occurs during scanning, various errors are involved in the position accuracy. Thus, the position information of encoders becomes meaningless in case of slip. The reliability of AUT results nay become serious problem. Hence, slip must be avoided, but it can not be completely avoided at present time. In this paper, a new idea that surface wave is used to solve this problem and replace encoders has been proposed. It is shown that this idea can be employed in AUT scanner without encoders. That is, one transducer transmitting surface wave is fixed and the other transducer attached to the scanner receives UT signal. Then, computer calculates the present position of scanner based on the information given by surface wave. Thus, the movement of a scanner can be controlled by the amount of input based on the information obtained.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.268-273
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• 2004

A method of reflection-transmission type ultrasonic inverse scattering image was presented using linearly arrayed transducers in inner surface of half-cylinder. In this method, to reduce the number of data, the mirror effect using a reflector behind object and pulse wave with finite frequency band, To verify the proposed method, a computer simulation was performed for organic phantom specimen, As the results. it was verified that the reconstructed image was satisfactory even when the limitation view angle was limited to around 30 deg.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.23-31
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• 2020

The performance of a downward-irradiation sonoreactor was investigated using calorimetry, KI dosimetry, luminol (Sonochemiluminescence, SCL) method, and aluminium foil erosion method as one of the basic steps for the optimal design of downward-irradiation sonoreactors. The applied frequency was 28 kHz and the input electrical power was 280 - 300 W. The liquid height, from the reactor bottom to the transducer module surface, ranged from 1λ (53.6 mm) to 2λ (107.1 mm). For various liquid heights, the magnitude of calorimetric power and the mass of cavitation-generated I₃^- ion varied significantly. It was found that the additional application of mechanical mixing resulted in higher sonochemical activity, especially in the cavitational active zone, which was induced by violent liquid flow in the reactor. In aluminium foil erosion tests, it was found that less ultrasound energy reached the bottom of the reactor due to the violent liquid flow and no significant sonophysical effect was observed for higher mixing rate conditions (100 and 200 rpm).

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.427-435
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• 2008

Inspection of dissimilar metal welds using phased array ultrasound is not easy at all, because crystalline structure of dissimilar metal welds cause deviation and splitting of the ultrasonic beams. Thus, in order to have focusing and/or steering phased array beams in dissimilar metal welds, proper time delays should be determined by ray tracing. In this paper, we proposed an effective approach to solve this difficult problem. Specifically, we modify the Oglivy's model parameters to describe the crystalline structure of real dissimilar metal welds in a fabricated specimen. And then, we calculate the proper time delay and incident angle of linear phased array transducer in the anisotropic and inhomogeneous material for focusing and/or steering phased array ultrasonic beams on the desired position.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.128-134
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• 2016

Acoustic emission spectra was analyzed to investigate the distribution of sound pressure in a 36 kHz sonoreactor. The sound pressure of fundamental frequency (f: 36 kHz), harmonics (2f: 72 kHz, 3f: 108 kHz, 4f: 144 kHz, 5f: 180 kHz, 6f: 216 kHz), and subharmonics (1.5f: 54 kHz, 2.5f: 90 kHz, 3.5f: 126 kHz, 4.5f: 162 kHz, 5.5f: 198 kHz, 6.5f; 234 kHz) was measured at every 5 cm from the ultrasonic transducer using a hydrophone and a spectrum analyzer. It was revealed that the input power of ultrasound, the application of mechanical mixing, and the concentration of SDS affected the sound pressure distributions of the fundamental frequency and total detected frequencies frequencies significantly. Moreover a linear relationship was found between the average total sound pressure and the degree of sonochemical oxidation while there was no significant linear relationship between the average sound pressure of fundamental frequency and the degree of sonochemical oxidation.