• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.111-121
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• 2017

Verification of dose distribution is an essential part of ensuring the treatment planning system's (TPS) calculated dose will achieve the desired outcome in radiation therapy. Each measurement have uncertainty associated with it. It is desirable to reduce the measurement uncertainty. A best approach is to reduce the uncertainty associated with each step of the process to keep the total uncertainty under acceptable limits. Point dose patient specific quality assurance (QA) is recommended by American Association of Medical Physicists (AAPM) and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) for all the complex radiation therapy treatment techniques. Relative and absolute point dose measurement methods are used to verify the TPS computed dose. Relative and absolute point dose measurement techniques have a number of steps to measure the point dose which includes chamber cross calibration, electrometer reading, chamber calibration coefficient, beam quality correction factor, reference conditions, influences quantities, machine stability, nominal calibration factor (for relative method) and absolute dose calibration of machine. Keeping these parameters in mind, the estimated relative percentage uncertainty associated with the absolute point dose measurement is 2.1% (k=1). On the other hand, the relative percentage uncertainty associated with the relative point dose verification method is estimated to 1.0% (k=1). To compare both point dose measurement methods, 13 head and neck (H&N) IMRT patients were selected. A point dose for each patient was measured with both methods. The average percentage difference between TPS computed dose and measured absolute relative point dose was 1.4% and 1% respectively. The results of this comparative study show that while choosing the relative or absolute point dose measurement technique, both techniques can produce similar results for H&N IMRT treatment plans. There is no statistically significant difference between both point dose verification methods based upon the t-test for comparing two means.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2024

In this study, we optimized the FNLM algorithm through a simulation study and applied it to a phantom scanned by low-dose CT to evaluate whether the FNLM algorithm can be used to obtain improved image quality images. We optimized the FNLM algorithm with MASH phantom and FASH phantom, which the algorithm was applied with MATLAB, increasing the smoothing factor from 0.01 to 0.05 with increments of 0.001 and measuring COV, RMSE, and PSNR values of the phantoms. For both phantom, COV and RMSE decreased, and PSNR increased as the smoothing factor increased. Based on the above results, we optimized a smoothing factor value of 0.043 for the FNLM algorithm. Then we applied the optimized FNLM algorithm to low dose lung CT and lung CT under normal conditions. In both images, the COV decreased by 55.33 times and 5.08 times respectively, and we confirmed that the quality of the image of low dose CT applying the optimized FNLM algorithm was 5.08 times better than the image of lung CT under normal conditions. In conclusion, we found that the smoothing factor of 0.043 among the factors of the FNLM algorithm showed the best results and validated the performance by reducing the noise in the low-quality CT images due to low dose with the optimized FNLM algorithm.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1993

In its recent recommendation No. 60(1990), ICRP has newly introduced several terminology which had not existed in its prior recommendation No. 26(1977). Of these, a newly defined quantity 'Equivalent Dose' replacing the 'Dose Equivalent' of the ICRU concept has been recommended to be adopted in the radiation protection programme. However, since the committee still uses the 'Dose Equivalent' and 'Equivalent Dose' in its several publications, it is likely to provoke unnecessary confusions and misuses in applying these two quantities. In this paper were described the definition and difference between these two quantities to help in understanding of these two quantitites among the person involved in the radiation protection activities.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 1985

An alternative estimator for dose equivalent was derived. The original LET distribution concept was transformed into a charged particle fluence spectrum concept along with the definition of an average quality factor named slowing-down averaged quality factor by adopting the continuous slowing down approximation. With the alternative estimator, the dose equivalent delivered into a receptor located in a given radiation field can be directly and conveniently estimated in a Monte Carlo procedure. The slowing-down averaged quality factors for the energy range below 10 MeV were evaluated and tabulated for the charged particles which may be generated from the interactions of neutron with the nuclei composing soft tissue.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.307-312
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• 2021

In nuclear medicine, radioactive isotope tracers are administered to the human body to obtain and evaluate disease morphological information and biological function information. Dose calibrator is a device used to measure the radioactivity of a single nuclide in medical institutions. Administration of the correct dose to the human body acts as an important factor in diagnosis and treatment, and measurement through a dose calibrator before administration is the most important factor. Dose calibrator performs daily quality control after installation in each medical institution. Quality control is a means of guaranteeing quality control after installation, and is essential for improving the quality of treatment and promoting patient safety. Therefore, accurate and standardized performance evaluation methods should be established. In this study, 3D printing was used for quantitative evaluation of quality control by increasing the accuracy and standardization of quality control. When the 3D printer was installed and reproducibility was tested, the error range of the expected value and reading value decreased by 0.302% in the F-18 nuclide and 0.09% in the ^99mTc-pertechnate nuclide than when the 3D printer was installed. The error rate for other nuclides was also found to have a low error rate for reproducibility tests when 3D printing was installed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.353-360
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• 2020

This research aims at suggesting exposure condition that shows maintaining the value of the physical image quality factor by decreasing tube voltage and tube current from the standard exposure condition(80 kV, 7 mA) of a CBCT apparatus. To measure the value of the physical image quality factor, modular transfer function(MTF) was analyzed and dose-area product(DAP) was used for the measurement of exposure dose. CBCT images of a Sedentex IQ phantom were obtained under 15 exposure conditions of different combination of tube voltage(80, 78, 76 kV) and tube current(7, 6, 5, 4, 3 mA) and MTF 10 was calculated under each exposure conditions. There were no significant differences in MTF 10 under 80 kV-6 mA, 80 kV-5 mA exposure conditions in comparison with standard exposure condition. Based on the results of this research, 80 kV-5 mA condition are expected to be able to reduce exposure dose with maintaining the value of the physical image quality factor of the standard exposure condition.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 1998

The purpose of simple abdomen erect projection is to see the fluid level which indicates gastrointestinal ileus or free air due to perforation. we do not have to insist on low kVp technique in simple abdomen erect position as long as we can detect the fluid level and free air shadow. Therefore, the author tried to decrease patient dose by high kVp technique and to improve the image quality due to motion artifact by reduction of exposure time. [Methods] Experiment 1. * screen/film SRO1000/HRH * exposure factor : $140\;kvp{\pm}5\;kv$ with added filters, 200 mA, 0.01 sec * phantom : Acryles : 15.0 cm(equivalent to 17 cm body thickness) 17.5 cm(equivalent to 21 cm body thickness) 20.0 cm (equivalent to 25 cm body thickness) With the exposure factor for same film density($D=0.8{\pm}0.1$) and with the materials above, we tried to find out entrance skin dose and gonad dose for both male and female. Experiment 2. Burger's phantom radiography were checked to see whether there was any change of image quality according to the kVp and the added filters. Experiment 3. Using rotating meter(self made), we examined the motion artifact and the exposure time limitation. [Results and conculution] 1. Using high voltage technique of 140 kVp with added filter, Skin dose, testicle dose and ovary dose decrease to 89.3%, 47% and 71.4% respectively compare to 70 kVp technique, 2. No great changes of Burger's phantom image has detected as from 70 kVp to 140 kVp and the air hole size of Burger's phantom over 0.028 cc(Diameter 3 mm, hight 4 mm) can be distinghished. 3. 0.01 sec(1 pulse) exposure time is possible in the single phase full wave rectification that why we can quitely reduce the unsharness caused by patient's movement.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.595-603
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• 2017

The study is to produced a brain phantom simulating corpus striatum, which can evaluate the progression of parkinson's disease, to investigate possibility of reducing the brain exposure dose to CT while maintaining optimal image quality during PET-CT examinations. CT scans were performed by varying tube voltage (100, 120 kVp) and tube current (80, 140, 200 mAs) with $^{18}F$ FP-CIT injected into the phantom's hot sphere and background (radioactivity ratio 3:1)(reference condition; 120 kVp, 140 mAs). Estimated effective dose was calculated by using conversion factor according to each condition, and image quality was evaluated by setting SNR and CRChot image evaluation factors. Experimental results showed that the predicted effective dose below the CT imaging reference condition was reduced by at least 10% and by up to 60%, and the predicted effective dose beyond the reference condition was increased by 40%. In addition, there was no significant difference between SNR and CRChot of PET images, and it was confirmed that brain dose decreased with decrease of tube voltage and tube current. At the same time, there was no significant change in the quality of the image in terms of SNR and CRChot despite the change in scan conditions. This fact suggests that the quality of the images acquired under the existing dose conditions can be obtained even at low dose conditions and it is expected that it will be possible to use the brain PET-CT scan as a basic data for the research on reduction of dose and improvement of image quality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.289-294
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• 2020

In order to control the quality of X-ray images and patient exposure, it is necessary to document the output dose(air absorption dose(mGy)) output from the X-ray unit from the measurement. The purpose of this study is to find an equation that can calculate the output dose from the measurement of the output dose and output factor(Of) of the X-ray Unit. The output dose and output factors of the X-beam irradiated from the X-ray unit were measured using an XR multi-detector. The output dose calculation formula was obtained by fitting the measured output dose divided by the tube current-exposure time product(mAs) and the set tube voltage with Allometric1. The final output dose calculation formula was obtained by multiplying this formula with the output factor. It is considered that the obtained final output dose calculation formula will be useful for all tube voltages, tube currents, exposure times, field sizes, and distances.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.589-596
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• 2019

X-rays used for diagnosis have a continuous energy distribution. However, photons with low energy not only reduce image contrast, but also contribute to the patient's radiation exposure. Therefore, clinics currently use filters made of aluminum. Such filters are advantageous because they can reduce the exposure of the patient to radiation. However, they may have negative effects on imaging quality, as they lead to increases in the scattered dose. In this study, we investigated the effects of the scattered dose generated by an aluminum filter on medical image quality. We used the relative standard deviation and the scatter degradation factor as evaluation indices, as they can be used to quantitatively express the decrease in the degree of contrast in imaging. We verified that the scattered dose generated by the increase in the thickness of the aluminum filter causes degradation of the quality of medical images.