• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2013.01a
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• pp.616-623
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• 2013

One of the oldest, most common engineering problems is measuring the dimensions of different objects and the distances between locations. In AEC/FM, related uses vary from large-scale applications such as measuring distances between cities to small-scale applications such as measuring the depth of a crack or the width of a welded joint. Within the last few years, advances in applying new technologies have prompted the development of new measuring devices such as ultrasound and laser-based measurers. Because of wide varieties in type, associated costs, and levels of accuracy, the selection of an optimal measuring technology is challenging for construction engineers and facility managers. To tackle this issue, we present an overview of various measuring technologies adopted by experts in the area of AEC/FM. As the next step, to evaluate the performance of these technologies, we select one indoor and one outdoor case and measure several dimensions using six categories of technologies: tapes, total stations, laser measurers, ultrasound devices, laser scanners, and image-based technologies. Then we evaluate the results according to various metrics such as accuracy, ease of use, operation time, associated costs, compare these results, and recommend optimal technologies for specific applications. The results also revealed that in most applications, computer vision-based technologies outperform traditional devices in terms of ease of use, associated costs, and accuracy.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.283-292
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• 2009

Laser-based ultrasonic sensing requires the probe with fixed fecal length, but this requirement is not essential in laser-based ultrasonic generation. Based on this fact, we designed a pulsed laser-based ultrasonic wave propagation imaging (UWPI) system with a tilting mirror system for rapid scanning of target, and an in-line band-pass filtering capable of ultrasoaic mode selection. 1D-temporal averaging, 2D-spatial averaging, and 3D-data structure building algorithms were developed far clearer results allowing fur higher damage detectability. The imaging results on a flat stainless steel plate were presented in movie and snapshot formats which showed the propagation of ultrasound visible as a concentric wavefield emerging from the location of an ultrasonic sensor. A hole in the plate with a diameter of 1 mm was indicated by the scattering wavefields. The results showed that this robust UWPI system is independent of focal length and reference data requirements.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.539-540
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• 2009

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.59 no.12
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• pp.2349-2351
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• 2010

Photo Acoustic Tomography (PAT) is a hybrid imaging modality which combines high contrast of optical imaging and spatial resolution of ultrasound imaging, thus it is suitable to image biological tissue noninvasively. Laser-induced photoacoustic signals were measured from a sample by means of an unfocused ultrasound transducer, then PAT image was reconstructed based on a universal back-projection algorithm. To evaluate the feasibility of our system, phantom test was performed, consequently, the PAT images obtained using our system showed highly analogous shape and volume with those of the phantom. This result demonstrated that our system can provide a powerful tool for imaging the substructure of biological tissue in non-invasive manner.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.377-377
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• 2016

Under nanosecond-pulsed laser irradiation, light-absorbing thin films have been used for photoacoustic transmitters for ultrasound generation. Especially, nanostructured absorbers are attractive due to high optical absorption and efficient thermoacoustic energy conversion: for example, 2-dimensional (2-D) gold nanostructure array, synthetic gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and reduced graphene oxides. Among them, CNT has been used to fabricate a composite film with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that exhibits excellent photoacoustic conversion performance for high-frequency, high-amplitude ultrasound generation. Previously, CNT-PDMS nanocomposite films were made by using a high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD) process for CNT growth. However, this approach is not suitable to fabricate large-area CNT films (>several cm2). This is because a chamber dimension of HTCVD is limited and also the process often causes nonuniform CNT growth when the film area increases. As an alternative approach, a solution-based process can be used to overcome these issues. We develop PDMS composite transmitters, based on the solution process, using several nanostructured light-absorbers such as CNTs, nanoink powders, and imprinted regular arrays of gold nanostructure. We compare fabrication processes of each composite transmitters and photoacoustic output performance.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2021

As technology advances at a rapid rate, innovations in regenerative medicine will eventually include the use of energy-based therapeutics, such as low intensity-pulsed ultrasound stimulation (LIPUs), pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation (PMFs), and low-level laser/light therapy (LLLt) or photobiomodulation therapy (PBMt). Among these treatments, LLLt/PBMt attracted significant attention by the turn of the century, as evidenced by the numerous publications compared to LIPUs and PMFs, particularly for augmented bone regeneration (ABR). This is a testament of how the maturation of technology and scientific knowledge leads to latent compounded applications, even when the value of a technique is reliant on empirical data. This article reviews some of the notable investigations using LLLt/PBMt for bone regeneration published in the past decade, focusing on how this type of therapy has been utilized together with the existing regenerative medicine landscape.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2005

Fiber reinforced plastic material should be inspected in fabrication process in order to enhance quality by prevent defects such as delamination and void. Generally, ultrasonic technique is widely used to evaluate FRP. In conventional ultrasonic techniques, transducer should be contacted on FRP. However, conventional contacting method could not be applied in fabrication process and novel non-contact evaluating technique was required. Laser-based ultrasonic technique was tried to evaluate CFRP plate. Laser-based ultrasonic waves propagated on CFRP were received with various transducers such as accelerometer and AE sensor in order to evaluate the properties of waves due to the variation of frequency. Velocities of laser-based ultrasonic waves were evaluated for various fiber orientation. In addition, laser interferometry was used to receive ultrasonic wave in CFRP and frequency was analysed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.369-369
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• 2016

A nanostructure composite is a highly suitable substance for photoacoustic ultrasound generation. This allows an input laser beam (typically, nanosecond pulse duration) to be efficiently converted to an ultrasonic output with tens-of-MHz frequency. This type of energy converter has been demonstrated by using a carbon nanotube (CNT)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite film that exhibit high optical absorption, rapid heat transition, and mechanical durability, all of which are necessary properties for high-amplitude ultrasound generation. In order to develop the CNT-PDMS composite film, a high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD) method has been commonly used so far to grow CNT and then produce a CNT-PDMS composite structure. Here, instead of the complex HTCVD, we use a mixed solution of hydrophobic multi-walled CNT and dimethylformamid (DMF) and fabricate a solution-processed CNT-PDMS composite film over a spherically concave substrate, i.e. a focal energy converter. As the solution process can be applied over a large area, we could easily fabricate the focal transmitter that focuses the photoacoustic output at the moment of generation from the CNT-PDMS composite layer. With this method, we developed photoacoustic energy converters with a large diameter (>25 mm) and a long focal length (several cm). The lens performance was characterized in terms of output pressure amplitude for an incident pulsed laser energy and focal spot dimension in both lateral and axial. Due to the long focal length, we expect that the new lens can be applied for long-range ultrasonic treatment, e.g. biomedical therapy.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.467-475
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• 2016

Ultrasonic propagation imaging (UPI) has shown great potential for detection of impairments in complex structures and can be used in wide range of non-destructive evaluation and structural health monitoring applications. The software implementation of such algorithms showed a tendency in time-consumption with increment in scan area because the processor shares its resources with a number of programs running at the same time. This issue was addressed by using field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) that is a dedicated processing solution and used for high speed signal processing algorithms. For this purpose, we need an independent and flexible block of logic which can be used with continuously evolvable hardware based on FPGA. In this paper, we developed an FPGA-based ultrasonic propagation imaging system, where FPGA functions for both data acquisition system and real-time ultrasonic signal processing. The developed UPI system using FPGA board provides better cost-effectiveness and resolution than digitizers, and much faster signal processing time than CPU which was tested using basic ultrasonic propagation algorithms such as ultrasonic wave propagation imaging and multi-directional adjacent wave subtraction. Finally, a comparison of results for processing time between a CPU-based UPI system and the novel FPGA-based system were presented to justify the objective of this research.

• Medical Lasers
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.161-169
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• 2021

Background and Objectives Fractional microneedle radiofrequency systems are popular options to increase elasticity in aging skin. Laser-assisted drug delivery is a promising method for the epidermal injection of topically applied drugs and cosmetic ingredients. This study assesses the safety and efficacy of topical delivery of L-ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and ferulic acid after fractional microneedle radiofrequency treatment for reducing photodamage. Materials and Methods In this prospective, single-center, split-face, controlled pilot study, six women (mean age, 48.0 years; range, 35-57 years; Fitzpatrick skin types III and IV) exhibiting mild to moderate photodamage, underwent a single session of fractional microneedle radiofrequency treatment. The patients were instructed to apply the antioxidant formulation to only one side of the face. Patients were evaluated 3 days, 7 days, and 4 weeks thereafter, using three-dimensional imaging and ultrasound. Ex vivo, the full-thickness human skin was used for molecular and histological evaluation. Statistical analysis was achieved by applying t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and one-way analyses of variance. Results Compared to the untreated side, the antioxidant-treated side exhibited a significant increase in dermal thickness (10.32% vs. 17.54%, p < 0.05), but not in skin elasticity (4.76% vs. 4.69%, p > 0.05). The difference in erythema between the sides was statistically not significant (p > 0.05). In the ex vivo model, expression of FGF2 in the skin was significantly increased after application of the antioxidant formulation, as compared to results obtained subsequent to fractional microneedle radiofrequency treatment only (p < 0.01). Conclusion This study demonstrates that for the treatment of photodamaged skin, laser-assisted delivery of the antioxidant formulation is a safe and effective adjuvant modality following fractional microneedle radiofrequency.