• 대한의용생체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한의용생체공학회 1992년도 춘계학술대회
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• pp.64-67
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• 1992

To improve signal-to-noise ratio in sodium image, short echo time (2-3 ms) and long data acquisition (10-20 ms) protocols are used. Sodium in biological specimens demonstrates a bi-exponential decay of transverse magnetization and the fast decaying component of the sodium signal results in the reconstruction of images which are blurred significantly. The spatially-dependent nature of the blurs are due mainly to the presence of short local transverse relaxation values (0.7-3 ms) of sodium in tissue. We present an algorithm that corrects for object-dependent blurs due to fast-decaying T2 and improves the computational behavior of the algorithm by incorporating a relaxation parameter into the iterative process.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.101-107
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• 2000

Objectives : The evaluation of peripheral nerve injuries has traditionally relied on a clinical history, physical examination, and electrodiagnostic studies. The purpose of the present study was to examine serial magnetic resonance image(MRI) changes following acute muscle denervation under experimental conditions and to identify potential advantages and disadvantages of this use of MRI. Methods : An experimental transection of right sciatic nerve on Spargue-Dawley rats was performed. MRI was performed with T1-weighted spin-echo and STIR sequences. The imaging findings were compared with EMG in order to determine its sensitivity relative to this standard procedure. A simultaneous histopathological study provided information about the morphological basis of the imaging findings. Signal intensities were expressed as a ratio of abnormal to normal. Results : The signal intensity ratio of muscles with the STIR sequence was increased significantly at 2 weeks after sciatic nerve transection(p<0.05), although definite signal change was seen as early as 4 days postdenervation in one. EMG revealed significant denervation potential from 3 days after nerve transection. Diffuse cell atrophy was revealed hostologically at 2 weeks after transection, which was at the same time of significant signal change in MRI. Conclusion : MRI signal changes in denervated muscles secondary to nerve injury correlate with the degree of muscle atrophy on histologic examination. In addition to EMG, MRI can document the course of muscle atrophy and mesenchymal abnormalities in denervation. These results indicate that MRI can play a complementary role in the evaluation of patients with denervation.

• 한국의학물리학회지:의학물리
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.54-58
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• 2004

목적: 인체에 비해 크기가 작은 동물의 자기공명영상을 획득하기 위하여 현재 사용되고 있는 Head 코일보다 원통 반지름이 작은 Low-pass Filter 형태의 Birdcage Resonator를 제작하여 보다 큰 신호대잡음비(Signal-to-Noise Ratio: SNR)를 획득함으로써 고해상도의 영상을 얻고자 하였다. 방법: 원통형의 아크릴과 구리테이프를 사용하여 각각 내경 지름이 13 cm, 15 cm이고, 길이 30 cm, 12개의 element를 가진 동물용 Low-pass Filter 형태의 Birdcage Resonator를 각각 제작하였고, 자기공명영상을 얻기 위하여 Spin Echo Pulse Sequence와 Fast Spin Echo Pulse Sequence를 사용하였다. 제작된 Birdcage Resonator는 실험적 수치와 팬톰과 동물에 대한 MR영상으로 그 가치를 평가하였다. 결과: 대상물의 크기에 따른 SNR을 비교하기 위하여 다양한 크기의 코일을 이용하여 각각의 팬톰 영상을 획득하였다. 팬톰 영상으로부터 측정된 SNR의 값을 통해 코일의 크기에 대한 대상물의 크기를 알 수 있었다. 토의 및 결론: 본 연구를 통하여 같은 형태의 Birdcage Resonator일 경우 대상물의 크기에 따라 SNR이 다르며, 특히 대상물의 크기가 코일 크기의 40∼80% 정도일 때 SNR이 더 크다는 것을 알 수 있었다. 따라서 코일의 크기에 비해 촬영하고자 하는 대상물의 부피가 작은 경우 대상물의 부피에 맞추어 코일을 제작하면 SNR이 보다 뛰어난 영상을 얻을 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.798-802
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• 2007

The synthetic focusing in the ultrasonic imaging systems has been formed in the way that one element transmits a circular wave and receives an echo signal. The amplitude of the signal transmitted from one element is too small to propagate a long distance so that the SNR(Signal to Noise Ratio) is very low in an image obtained by the synthetic focusing. To solve this problem, a defocusing method which uses several elements has been proposed. In this method, the SNR is improved due to using several elements to transmit the circular wave. But if the number of transmitting elements increases, the phase distortion is severe in the defocusing method. In this paper, we propose a new method that can generate a circular wave using a lot of elements without phase distortion. At first, we generate limited plane waves with different propagation angles and then superpose them to make a circular wave. We show that the circular wave can be used to improve SNR in the real-time 3D ultrasonic imaging as well as the synthetic focusing through computer simulation and experiments.

• 대한의용생체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한의용생체공학회 1998년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.305-306
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• 1998

In this paper, we infer the onset of the brain infarction from the MR image using evaluate signal intensities on diffusion weighted and turbo spin echo T2-weighted and FLAIR images. Infarcts were divided into four stages (hyperacute, acute, subacute, chronic) depending on period of onset. DWI is useful for the detection of early ischemic infarct, and stages of ischemic infarctions can be estimated by evaluating CR(conspicuity ratio) and CNR(contrast to noise ratio) on DW, T2, FLAIR images Hyperacute infarcts were visualized DWI. Acute infarcts were visualialized both DWI and T2 Weighted image.

• 한국자기공명학회논문지
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.48-60
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to design and build an optimized birdcage resonator configuration with a low pass filter, which would facilitate the acquisition of high-resolution 3D-image of small animals at 3T MRI system. Methods and Materials: The birdcage resonator with 12-element structures was built, in order to ensure B1 homogeneity over the image volume and maximum filling factor, and hence to maximize the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and resolution of the 3-dimensional images. The diameter and length of each element of a birdcage resonator were as follows: (1) diameter 13 cm, length 22 cm, (2) diameter 15 cm, length 22 cm, (3) diameter 17 cm, length 25 cm. Spin echo pulse sequence and fast spin echo pulse sequence were employed in obtaining MR images. The quality of the manufactured birdcage resonators wes evaluated on the basis of the return loss following matching and tuning process. Results: The experimental MR image of phantoms by the various manufactured birdcage resonators were obtained to compare the SNR in accordance with the size of objects. The size of an object to that of coil was identified by parameters that were estimated from the image of a phantom. First, the diameter of the birdcage resonator was 15cm, and the ratio of the tangerine to the birdcage resonator accounted for approximately 27%. The Q factor was 53.2 and the SNR was 150.7. Second, at the same birdcage resonator, the ratio of the orange was approximately 53%. The SNR and the Q parameter was 212.8 and 91.2, respectively. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that if birdcage resonators have the same forms, SNR could be different depending on the size of an object, especially when the size of an object to that of coil is approximately 40~80%, the former is bigger than the latter. Therefore, when the size of an object to be observed is smaller than that of coil, the coil should be manufactured in accordance with the size of an object in order to obtain much more excellent images.

• 한국음향학회지
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• 제28권7호
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• pp.653-660
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• 2009

본 논문에서는 오디오 신호의 저작권 보호와 효과적인 음질 개선을 위한 새로운 워터마킹 알고리듬을 제안한다. 제안한 방법은 원 신호에 푸리에 변환을 하여 주파수 영역으로 변환하고 n개의 서브밴드로 균등 분할한다. 각 밴드별 에너지를 계산하여 에너지가 큰 것부터 k개를 선택하고 해당 밴드에서 p개의 주요 피크 성분을 검출하여 길이 m의 워터마크를 삽입한다. 워터마크된 오디오 신호를 청자에게 들려주었을 때 워터마크 삽입으로 인한 오디오 신호의 왜곡을 느끼지 못하였다. 또한, 제안한 방법은 Cox 방법만큼 MP3 압축, 잘라내기 (cropping),주파수 변환 (FFT), 반향 (echo)과 같은 워터마크 공격에 강인하였고 신호 대 잡음비 측면에서는 10 dB이상 우수함을 실험을 통해 확인할 수 있었다.

• 전기학회논문지
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• 제65권11호
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• pp.1887-1893
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• 2016

The VSA(Video Signal Analysis) method is the time-domain approach for estimating ultrasonic attenuation which utilizes the envelop signals from backscattered rf signals. The echogenicity of backscattered ultrasonic signals, however, from deeper depths are distorted when the broadband transmit pulse is used and it degrades the estimation accuracy of attenuation coefficients. We propose the modified VSA method using adaptive bandpass filters according to the centroid shift of echo signals as a pulse propagates. The technique of dual-reference diffraction compensation is also proposed to minimize the estimation errors because the difference of attenuation properties between the reference and sample aggravates the estimation accuracy when the differences are accumulated in deeper depth. The proposed techniques minimize the distortion of relative echogenicity and maximize the signal-to-noise ratio at the given depth. Simulation results for numerical tissue-mimicking phantoms show that the Rectangular-shaped filter with the appropriate center frequency exhibits the best estimation performance and the technique of the dual-reference diffraction compensation dramatically improves accuracy for the region after the beam focus.

• 한국음향학회지
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.273-278
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• 2017

본 논문에서는 지속파 능동 소나의 수신된 신호에서 잔향 신호를 제거하는 후처리 알고리즘을 도출하고자하며, 제안하는 알고리즘은 작은 도플러효과가 존재하여 목표물로부터 반사된 핑 신호가 잔향신호와 잘 구분이 되지 않는 경우를 목표로 하여 고안되었다. 본 알고리즘은 중첩 비음수 행렬 분해 기법에 기반하고 있으며, 방사될 핑 신호의 주파수 특성을 분석한 후, 수신된 신호의 시간-주파수 영역 특성을 이용하여 잔향 신호를 제거하고 핑 신호를 복원한다. 알고리즘의 효과를 분석하기 위하여 시뮬레이션을 수행하였으며, 시뮬레이션 결과 다양한 진향 신호 에너지 환경에서 6 dB 가량의 신호대잔향비 성능 향상을 보임을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.65-70
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to describe a radiofrequency (RF) coil design for in vivo sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for use in small animals. Accumulating evidence has indicated the importance and potential of sodium imaging with improved magnet strength (> 7T), faster gradient, better hardware, multi-nucleus imaging methods, and optimal coil design for patient and animal studies. Thus, we developed a saddle-shaped sodium volume coil with a diameter/length of 30/30 mm. To evaluate the efficiency of this coil, bench-level measurement was performed. Unloaded Q value, loaded Q value, and ratio of these two values were estimated to be 352.8, 211.18, and 1.67, respectively. Thereafter, in vivo acquisition of sodium images was performed using normal mice (12 weeks old; n = 5) with a two-dimensional gradient echo sequence and minimized echo time to increase spatial resolution of images. Sodium signal-to-noise ratio in mouse kidneys (renal cortex, medulla, and pelvis) was measured. We successfully acquired sodium MR images of the mouse kidney with high spatial resolution (approximately 0.625 mm) through a combination of sodium-proton coils.