• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2021.05a
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• pp.474-476
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• 2021

Glioblastoma is the most common brain malignancies arising from glial cells. Early diagnosis and treatment plan establishment are important, and cancer is diagnosed mainly through T1CE imaging through injection of a contrast agent. However, the risk of injection of gadolinium-based contrast agents is increasing recently. Region segmentation that marks cancer regions in medical images plays a key role in CAD systems, and deep neural network models for synthesizing new images are also being studied. In this study, we propose a model that simultaneously learns the generation of T1CE images and segmentation of cancer regions. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated using similarity measurements including mean square error and peak signal-to-noise ratio, and shows average result values of 21 and 39 dB.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1639-1643
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• 2023

Purpose. We wanted to find out how the changes in brain function affected by the beats per minute (BPM) of music affected visual function. Methods. The subjects were 40 people in their 20s (30 men, 10 women) with no eye disease, strabismus, amblyopia and a corrected visual acuity of 1.0 or higher. Wearing headphones while excluding surrounding noise as much as possible, we played music while adjusting the beat rate at 40 BPM intervals from 80 to 200 BPM. Then, pupil size measurement, lag of accommodation test, and minus lens addition method maximum accommodation test were performed and analyzed. Results. As a result of analyzing changes in visual function according to beats per minute [BPM], it was found that although sound can be consciously affected, it does not directly affect visual function significantly in terms of accommodative lag and changes in pupil size. It was confirmed that the effect was limited to the maximum accommodation. Conclusions. In clinical practice, it is necessary to conduct a refraction test while keeping in mind that there are changes in visual function depending on the BPM of surrounding sounds.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to confirm the exactitude of in vitro nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(NMRS) and to complement the defect of in vivo NMRS. It has been difficult to understand the metabolism of a cerebellum using in vivo NMRS owing to the generated inhomogeneity of magnetic fields (B0 and B1 field) by the complexity of the cerebellum structure. Thus, this study tried to more exactly analyze the metabolism of a canine cerebellum using the cell extraction and high resolution NMRS. In order to conduct the absolute metabolic quantification in a canine cerebellum, the spectrum of our phantom included in various brain metabolites (i.e., NAA, Cr, Cho, Ins, Lac, GABA, Glu, Gln, Tau and Ala) was obtained. The canine cerebellum tissue was extracted using the methanol-chloroform water extraction (M/C extraction) and one group was filtered and the other group was not under extract processing. Finally, NMRS of a phantom solution and two extract solution (90% D2O) was progressed using a 500MHz (11.4 T) NMR machine. Filtering a solution of the tissue extract increased the signal to noise ratio (SNR). The metabolic concentrations of a canine cerebellum were more close to rat’s metabolic concentration than human’s metabolic concentration. The present study demonstrates the absolute quantification technique in vitro high resolution NMRS with tissue extraction as the method to accurately measure metabolite concentration.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.493-500
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• 2017

In this study, data analysis has been conducted by INFINITT program to analyze the effect of signal to noise ratio(SNR) and contrast to noise ratio(CNR) of flow related enhancement(FRE) and computed tomography Angiography(CTA) on cerebrovascular diseases for qualitative evaluations. Based on the cerebrovascular image results achieved from 63 patients (January to April, 2017, at C University Hospital), we have selected 19 patients that performed both FRE-MRA and CTA. From the 19 patients, 2 were excluded due to artifacts from movements in the cerebrovascular image results. For the analysis conditions, we have set the 5 part (anterior cerebral artery, right and left Middle cerebral artery, right and left Posterior cerebral artery) as the interest area to evaluate the SNR and CNR, and the results were validated through Independence t Test. As a result, by averaging the SNR, and CNR values, the corresponding FRE-MRA achieved were: anterior cerebral artery ($1500.73{\pm}12.23/970.43{\pm}14.55$), right middle cerebral artery ($1470.16{\pm}11.46/919.44{\pm}13.29$), left middle cerebral artery ($1457.48{\pm}17.11/903.96{\pm}14.53$), right posterior cerebral artery ($1385.83{\pm}16.52/852.11{\pm}14.58$), left posterior cerebral artery ($1318.52{\pm}13.49/756.21{\pm}10.88$). by averaging the SNR, and CNR values, the corresponding CTA achieved were: anterior cerebral artery ($159.95{\pm}12.23/123.36{\pm}11.78$), right middle cerebral artery ($236.66{\pm}17.52/202.37{\pm}15.20$), left middle cerebral artery ($224.85{\pm}13.45/193.14{\pm}11.88$), right posterior cerebral artery ($183.65{\pm}13.47/151.44{\pm}11.48$), left posterior cerebral artery ($177.7{\pm}16.72/144.71{\pm}11.43$) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, MRA had high SNR and CNR value regardless of the cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage observed in the 5 part of the brain. Although FRE-MRA consumed longer time, it proved to have less side effect of contrast media when compared to the CTA.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.163-173
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• 1998

Nuclear medicine emission computed tomography(ECT) can be very useful to diagnose early stage of neuronal diseases and to measure theraputic results objectively, if we can quantitate energy metabolism, blood flow, biochemical processes, or dopamine receptor and transporter using ECT. However, physical factors including attenuation, scatter, partial volume effect, noise, and reconstruction algorithm make it very difficult to quantitate independent of type of SPECT. In this study, we quantitated the effects of attenuation and scatter using brain SPECT and three-dimensional brain phantom with and without applying their correction methods. Dual energy window method was applied for scatter correction. The photopeak energy window and scatter energy window were set to 140ke${\pm}$10% and 119ke${\pm}$6% and 100% of scatter window data were subtracted from the photopeak window prior to reconstruction. The projection data were reconstructed using Butterworth filter with cutoff frequency of 0.95cycles/cm and order of 10. Attenuation correction was done by Chang's method with attenuation coefficients of 0.12/cm and 0.15/cm for the reconstruction data without scatter correction and with scatter correction, respectively. For quantitation, regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on the three slices selected at the level of the basal ganglia. Without scatter correction, the ratios of ROI average values between basal ganglia and background with attenuation correction and without attenuation correction were 2.2 and 2.1, respectively. However, the ratios between basal ganglia and background were very similar for with and without attenuation correction. With scatter correction, the ratios of ROI average values between basal ganglia and background with attenuation correction and without attenuation correction were 2.69 and 2.64, respectively. These results indicate that the attenuation correction is necessary for the quantitation. When true ratios between basal ganglia and background were 6.58, 4.68, 1.86, the measured ratios with scatter and attenuation correction were 76%, 80%, 82% of their true ratios, respectively. The approximate 20% underestimation could be partially due to the effect of partial volume and reconstruction algorithm which we have not investigated in this study, and partially due to imperfect scatter and attenuation correction methods that we have applied in consideration of clinical applications.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.71-81
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• 1995

Consecutive brain 〔Tc-99m〕ECD SPECT studies before and after acetazolamide (Diamox) administration have been performed with patients for the evaluation of cerebrovascular hemodynamic reserve. However, the quantitaitve potential of SPECT Diamox imaging is limited as a result of degrading fractors such as finite detector resolution, attenuation, scatter, poor counting statistics, and methods of data analysis. Making physical measurements in phantoms filled with known amounts of radioactivity can help characterize and potentially quantify the sensitivities. However, it is often very difficult to make a realistic phantom simulating patients in clinical situations. By computer simulation, we studied the sensitivities of ECD SPECT before and after Diamox administration. The sensitivity is defined as ($\Delta$N/N)/($\Delta$S/S)$\times$100％, where $\Delta$N denotes the differences in mean counts between post-and pre-Diamox in the measured data, N denotes the mean counts before Diamox in the measure data, $\Delta$S denotes the differences in mean counts between post-and pre-Diamox in the model, and S denotes the mean counts before Diamox in the model. In clinical Diamox studies, the percentage changes of radioactivity could be determined to measure changes in radioactivity concentration by Diamox after subtracting pre-from post-Diamox data. However, the optimal amount of subtraction for 100％ sensitivity is not known since this requires a thorough sensitivity analysis by computer simulation. For consecutive brain SPECT imaging model before and after Diamox, when 30％ increased radioactivity concentrations were assingned for Diamox effect in model, the sensitivities were measured as 51.03, 73.4, 94.00, 130.74％ for 0, 100, 150, 200％ subtraction, respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the partial voluming effects due to finite detector resolution and statistical noise result in a significant underestimation of radioactivity measurements and the amount of underestimation depends on the. ％ increase of radioactivity concentration and ％ subtraction of pre-from post-Diamox data. The 150％ subtraction appears to be optimal in clinical situations where we expect approximately 30％ changes in radioactivity concentration. The computer simulation may be a powerful technique to study sensitivities of ECD SPECT before and after Diamox administration.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.327-336
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• 1999

Purpose: To assess the quantitative accuracy and the clinical utility of 3D volumetric PET imaging with FDG in brain studies, 24 patients with various neurological disorders were studied. Materials and Methods: Each patient was injected with 370 MBq of 2-[$^{18}F$]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose. After a 30 min uptake period, the patients were imaged for 30 min in 2 dimensional acquisition (2D) and subsequently for 10 min in 3 dimensional acquisition imaging (3D) using a GE $Advance^{TM}$ PET system, The scatter corrected 3D (3D SC) and non scatter-corrected 3D images were compared with 2D images by applying ROIs on gray and white matter, lesion and contralateral normal areas. Measured and calculated attenuation correction methods for emission images were compared to get the maximum advantage of high sensitivity of 3D acquisition. Results: When normalized to the contrast of 2D images, the contrasts of gray to white matter were $0.75{\pm}0.13$ (3D) and $0.95{\pm}0.12$ (3D SC). The contrasts of normal area to lesion were $0.83{\pm}0.05$ (3D) and $0.96{\pm}0.05$ (3D SC). Three nuclear medicine physicians judged 3D SC images to be superior to the 2D with regards to resolution and noise. Regional counts of calculated attenuation correction was not significantly different to that of measured attenuation correction. Conclusion: 3D PET images with the scatter correction in FDG brain studies provide quantitatively and qualitatively similar images to 2D and can be utilized in a routine clinical setting to reduce scanning time and patient motion artifacts.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2011

Purpose: Presently in the nuclear medicine field, the high-speed image reconstruction algorithm like the OSEM algorithm is widely used as the alternative of the filtered back projection method due to the rapid development and application of the digital computer. There is no to relate and if it applies the optimal parameter be clearly determined. In this research, the quality change of the Jaszczak phantom experiment and brain SPECT patient data according to the iteration times and subset number change try to be been put through and analyzed in 3D OSEM reconstruction method of applying 3D beam modeling. Materials and Methods: Patient data from August, 2010 studied and analyzed against 5 patients implementing the brain SPECT until september, 2010 in the nuclear medicine department of ASAN medical center. The phantom image used the mixed Jaszczak phantom equally and obtained the water and 99mTc (500 MBq) in the dual head gamma camera Symbia T2 of Siemens. When reconstructing each image altogether with patient data and phantom data, we changed iteration number as 1, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 30 times and subset number as 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 times. We reconstructed in reconstructed each image, the variation coefficient for guessing about noise of images and image contrast, FWHM were produced and compared. Results: In patients and phantom experiment data, a contrast and spatial resolution of an image showed the tendency to increase linearly altogether according to the increment of the iteration times and subset number but the variation coefficient did not show the tendency to be improved according to the increase of two parameters. In the comparison according to the scan time, the image contrast and FWHM showed altogether the result of being linearly improved according to the iteration times and subset number increase in projection per 10, 20 and 30 second image but the variation coefficient did not show the tendency to be improved. Conclusion: The linear relationship of the image contrast improved in 3D OSEM reconstruction method image of applying 3D beam modeling through this experiment like the existing 1D and 2D OSEM reconfiguration method according to the iteration times and subset number increase could be confirmed. However, this is simple phantom experiment and the result of obtaining by the some patients limited range and the various variables can be existed. So for generalizing this based on this results of this experiment, there is the excessiveness and the evaluation about 3D OSEM reconfiguration method should be additionally made through experiments after this.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2005

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess attenuation correction algorithms with the $^{137}Cs$ point source for the brain positron omission tomography (PET) imaging process. Materials & Methods: Four different types of phantoms were used in this study for testing various types of the attenuation correction techniques. Transmission data of a $^{137}Cs$ point source were acquired after infusing the emission source into phantoms and then the emission data were subsequently acquired in 3D acquisition mode. Scatter corrections were performed with a background tail-fitting algorithm. Emission data were then reconstructed using iterative reconstruction method with a measured (MAC), elliptical (ELAC), segmented (SAC) and remapping (RAC) attenuation correction, respectively. Reconstructed images were then both qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. In addition, reconstructed images of a normal subject were assessed by nuclear medicine physicians. Subtracted images were also compared. Results: ELEC, SAC, and RAC provided a uniform phantom image with less noise for a cylindrical phantom. In contrast, a decrease in intensity at the central portion of the attenuation map was noticed at the result of the MAC. Reconstructed images of Jaszack and Hoffan phantoms presented better quality with RAC and SAC. The attenuation of a skull on images of the normal subject was clearly noticed and the attenuation correction without considering the attenuation of the skull resulted in artificial defects on images of the brain. Conclusion: the complicated and improved attenuation correction methods were needed to obtain the better accuracy of the quantitative brain PET images.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.138-148
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• 2001

Purpose : Within a clinically acceptable time frame, we obtained the high resolution MR images of the human brain, knee, foot and wrist from 3T whole-body MRI system which was equipped with the world first 37 active shield magnet. Materials and Methods : Spin echo (SE) and Fast Spin Echo (FSE) images were obtained from the human brain, knee, foot and wrist of normal subjects using a homemade birdcage and transverse electromagnetic (TEM) resonators operating in quadrature and tuned to 128 MHz. For acquisition of MR images of knee, foot and wrist, we employed a homemade saddle shaped RF coil. Topical common acquisition parameters were as follows: matrix=$512{\times}512$, field of view (FOV) =20 cm, slice thickness = 3 mm, number of excitations (NEX)=1. For T1-weighted MR images, we used TR = 500 ms, TE = 10 or 17.4 ms. For T2-weighted MR images, we used TR=4000 ms, TE = 108 ms. Results : Signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 3T system was measured 2.7 times greater than that of prevalent 1.5T system. MR images obtained from 3T system revealed numerous small venous structures throughout the image plane and provided reasonable delineation between gray and white matter. Conclusion The present results demonstrate that the MR images from 3T system could provide better diagnostic quali\ulcorner of resolution and sensitivity than those of 1.5T system. The elevated SNR observed in the 3T high field magnetic resonance imaging can be utilized to acquire images with a level of resolution approaching the microscopic structural level under in vivo conditions. These images represent a significant advance in our ability to examine small anatomical features with noninvasive imaging methods.