• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.55 no.1
• /
• pp.222-228
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to analyze the applicability of the improved median filter in positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) fusion images based on parallel imaging using generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA). In this study, a PET/MR fusion imaging system based on a 3.0T magnetic field and ¹⁸F radioisotope were used. An improved median filter that can set a mask of the median value more efficiently than before was modeled and applied to the acquired image. As quantitative evaluation parameters of the noise level, the contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and coefficient of variation (COV) were calculated. Additionally, no-reference-based evaluation parameters were used to analyze the overall image quality. We confirmed that the CNR and COV values of the PET/MR fusion images to which the improved median filter was applied improved by approximately 3.32 and 2.19 times on average, respectively, compared to the noisy image. In addition, the no-reference-based evaluation results showed a similar trend for the noise-level results. In conclusion, we demonstrated that it can be supplemented by using an improved median filter, which suggests the problem of image quality degradation of PET/MR fusion images that shortens scan time using GRAPPA.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 2021

Objective: Iterative reconstruction degrades image quality. Thus, further advances in image reconstruction are necessary to overcome some limitations of this technique in low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan of the chest. Deep-learning image reconstruction (DLIR) is a new method used to reduce dose while maintaining image quality. The purposes of this study was to evaluate image quality and noise of LDCT scan images reconstructed with DLIR and compare with those of images reconstructed with the adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo at a level of 30% (ASiR-V 30%). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 58 patients who underwent LDCT scan for lung cancer screening. Datasets were reconstructed with ASiR-V 30% and DLIR at medium and high levels (DLIR-M and DLIR-H, respectively). The objective image signal and noise, which represented mean attenuation value and standard deviation in Hounsfield units for the lungs, mediastinum, liver, and background air, and subjective image contrast, image noise, and conspicuity of structures were evaluated. The differences between CT scan images subjected to ASiR-V 30%, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H were evaluated. Results: Based on the objective analysis, the image signals did not significantly differ among ASiR-V 30%, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H (p = 0.949, 0.737, 0.366, and 0.358 in the lungs, mediastinum, liver, and background air, respectively). However, the noise was significantly lower in DLIR-M and DLIR-H than in ASiR-V 30% (all p < 0.001). DLIR had higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) than ASiR-V 30% (p = 0.027, < 0.001, and < 0.001 in the SNR of the lungs, mediastinum, and liver, respectively; all p < 0.001 in the CNR). According to the subjective analysis, DLIR had higher image contrast and lower image noise than ASiR-V 30% (all p < 0.001). DLIR was superior to ASiR-V 30% in identifying the pulmonary arteries and veins, trachea and bronchi, lymph nodes, and pleura and pericardium (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: DLIR significantly reduced the image noise in chest LDCT scan images compared with ASiR-V 30% while maintaining superior image quality.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.140-146
• /
• 2016

The ultrasound imaging in medical diagnosis has become a popular modality because of its safe, noninvasive, portable, relatively inexpensive, and provides a real-time image formation. However, usefulness of ultrasound imaging is at times limited due to the presence of signal-dependent noise like as speckle. Therefore, noise reduction is very important, as various types of noise generated limits the effectiveness of medical image diagnosis. This paper introduces a speckle noise reduce algorithm using total variation denoising (TVD) in Laplacian pyramid. With this method, speckle is removed by TVD of bandpass ultrasound images in Laplacian pyramid domain. For TVD in each pyramid layer, a ${\lambda}$ is selected by trial-and-error method. The visual comparison of despeckled 'in vivo' ultrasound images from pancreas shows that the proposed method could effectively preserve edges and detailed structures while thoroughly suppressing speckle. For a Simulated B-mode image, contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) and signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) were obtained like 4.65 dB and 14.11 dB, respectively. The results show that the proposed method can conduct better than some of the existing methods in terms of the CNR and the SNR.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.613-621
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of supportive devices which are for minimizing the patient's movement during lower extremity angiography and to verify image quality of phantom by analyzing of Mask image, DSA image and Roadmap image into SNR and CNR. As a result of comparing SNR with CNR of mask image obtained by DSA technique using the phantom alone and phantom placed on the supportive devices, there was no significant difference between about 0~0.06 for SNR and about 0~0.003 for CNR. The study showed about 0.11~0.35 for SNR and 0.016~0.031 for CNR of DSA imaging by DSA technique about only water phantom of the blood vessel model and the water phantom placed on the device. Analyzing SNR and CNR of Roadmap technique about water phantom on the auxiliary device (hardboard paper, pomax, polycarbonate, acrylic) and water phantom alone, there was no significant difference between 0.02~0.05 for SNR and 0.002~0.004 for CNR. In conclusion, there was no significant difference on image quality by using supportive devices made by hardboard paper, pomax, polycarbonate or acryl regardless of whether using supportive devices or not. Supportive devices to minimize of the patient's movement may reduce the total amount of contrast, exam-time, radiation exposure and eliminate risk factors during angiogram. Supportive devices made by hardboard paper can be applied easily during angiogram due to advantages of reasonable price and simple processing. It is considered that will be useful to consider cost efficiency and types of materials and their properties in accordance with purpose and method of the study when the operator makes and uses supportive devices.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.55-61
• /
• 2017

There are no recommended test conditions for digital photography in Chest PA examinations. However, each company recommends shooting examinations of the high voltage applied to the previous analog examination. The condition that satisfies the value of 200 ~ 800 which is the recommended Exposure Index value recommended by Philips was selected, and the dose was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation, and the SNR and CNR were compared. As a result, it was possible to reduce the effective dose up to 77% by controlling the tube voltage, tube current, and additional filter, not the conventional high voltage imaging method. Although there were some differences according to the test conditions, the image evaluation results were similar to the images. We will compare the exposure dose according to changes in tube voltage, tube current, and additional filter at the digital chest radiograph and evaluate the image quality of the image to propose optimal conditions.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.103-109
• /
• 2022

To maintain improved image quality in mammography, the quality control process is performed using the ACR (American college of radiology) phantom. In addition, many studied were performed by fabricating the customized breast phantom to provide more information in mammography. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the image quality by designing the modified ACR phantoms. The five modified acrlylic ACR phantoms were designed by considering insert position and phantom thickness. The phantoms were consisted of 4.5, 3.0, and 1.5 cm in terms of phantom thickness, and 3.0, 2.0, and 0.5 cm in terms of insert position, respectively. The acquired images were evaluated by PSNR (peak signal to noise ratio), RMSE (root mean square error), CC (correlation coefficient), CNR (contrast to noise ratio), and COV (coefficient of variation). Based on the similarity analysis, the result is suitable between conventional and new designed phantoms. In addition, the CNR and COV results in terms of insert position showed that image quality for 0.5 cm was 2.3 and 27.4% improved compared with 2 and 3 cm, respectively. According to phantom thickness results, the CNR result for 1.5 cm and COV result for 4.5 cm were 50.1 and 62.7% improved compared with that those conditions. In conclusion, we confirmed that the image quality depends on the breast size and thickness through modified ACR phantom study.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.589-594
• /
• 2017

The objective of this study was to evaluate the enhancement effects of the quantum denoising system (QDS) on brain CT images. This retrospective study was conducted with 45 adults who visited G Radiology located in Gyungbuk for having brain CT tests between Jul 2017 and Oct 2017 after receiving consents. Subjects were divided into a control group (A group; no QDS(-) application during the brain CT test) and a treatment group (B Group; QDS(+) application during the brain CT test). The following conclusions were obtained from the study. The noise values at the Pons part and the Vermis part were significantly (p<0.05) lower in B Group ($Pons=5.41{\pm}1.05HU$; $Vermis=5.28{\pm}0.73HU$) than A Group ($Pons=6.92{\pm}0.98HU$; Vermis=6.72). The SNR values at the Pons part and the Vermis part were significantly (p<0.05) higher in B Group ($Pons=7.28{\pm}2.56$; $Vermis=8.63{\pm}3.04$) than A Group ($Pons=5.21{\pm}1.28$; $Vermis=6.23{\pm}1.49$). In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that the application of QDS to the brain CT test would enhance the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast to noise ratio (CNR) to provide an image more appropriate for diagnosis.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.101-107
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study was to evaluate optimal CT scan parameters to minimize patient dose to the irradiation and maintain satisfactory image quality in low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) scans. In a chest anthropomorphic phantom, chest CT scans were performed at different kVp and mA within reference of 3.4mGy in volume CT Dose Index (CTDI_vol). The following quantitative parameters had been statistically evaluated: image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and figure of merit (FOM). Nine radiographers conducted the blind test to select the optimal kVp-mA combination. Results indicated that the kVp-mA combination of 80kVp-90mA, 100kVp-50mA, 120kVp-30mA and 140kVp-30mA were obtained high SNR and CNR. The 120kVp-30mA combination offered good compromise in the FOM, which showed the quality and dose performance. In the blind test, an image of 80kVp-90mA obtained a high score with 4.7 points, and 120kVp-10mA or 140kVp-10mA with a low tube current were observed severe noise and poor image quality, thus resulting in decreased diagnostic accuracy. On the other hand, in the combination of high kVp and high mA(140kVp-90mA), the image quality was improved, but the radiation dose was also increased. the FOM value of 140kVp-90mA was lower than 120kVp-30mA. The application of appropriate scan parameters in low-dose chest CT scans produced satisfactory results in dose and image quality for the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.14 no.9
• /
• pp.4313-4319
• /
• 2013

The purpose of our study is to shorten the scanning time and minimize the inconveniences of the patients in acquisition of the black blood images using the signal void effect in the fast spin echo technique while keeping the diagnostic value of the test. Thirty-two consecutive patients who underwent black blood MR imaging were examed with additional double inversion recovery (DIR) sequence and the conventional fast spin echo (FSE) sequence. Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR) of the internal carotid arteries' lumen were compared in T1 and T2 weighted images to determine whether there are differences between the two techniques for depiction of the signal void effect inside the vessel wall. The FSE images showed lower SNR values than the DIR images in both of the T1 and T2 weighted images (11.49% and 13.66% respectively). While the CNR values were higher in the FSE images than in the DIR images in both of the T1 and T2 weighted images (8.69% and 7.55% respectively).There was no significant difference between the two techniques for either of the SNR or CNR (p>0.05, p>0.05 respectively). The DIR and the FSE images demonstrated almost identical imaging patterns. Therefore, it is anticipated that the use of FSE technique in acquisition of the black blood imaging could reduce the inconveniences of the patients during the scanning and minimize exam time while keeping the diagnostic value of the test.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.485-491
• /
• 2023

As an auxiliary tool for fixing the patient's posture when taking an X-ray, sponges with high radiolucencies are laminated in various thicknesses. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of an auxiliary tool for hand oblique projection X-ray by manufacturing it with a uniform thickness by 3D printing and comparing it with existing sponge tools. In the auxiliary tool, radiolucency was measured at the stairs where each finger was located, and pixel information values were compared in the digital imaging and communications in medicine(DICOM) image. Contrast to noise ratio(CNR) and signal to noise ratio(SNR) were compared by shooting the hand phantom and the auxiliary tool together. As the thickness of the sponge tool increased, radiolucency decreased by 15.52% and pixel information value increased by 20.61%. The transmittance of the 3D printing tool increased by 0.82%, and the pixel information value differed by 5.66%. CNR and SNR increased by 20.03% and 22.42% in 3D printing compared to existing sponge tools. while taking hand oblique projection, maintaining the thickness of the auxiliary tool uniformly through 3D printing maintains high radiolucency and minimal impact on medical images, and increases CNR and SNR, making it useful as an auxiliary tool for taking hand oblique projection.