• 전자공학회논문지B
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• 제32B권1호
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• pp.110-119
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• 1995

The lateral resolution in an ultrasound imaging system is one of the most important factors for quality of the image and is determined by the beam focusing. For the better lateral resolution SDF(Sampled Delay Focusing) capable of digital focusing was proposed. The second-order sampling, one of band-width sampling methods, is suggested as being the best suitable for SDF because it allows total digital processing and is simple and economical. By proving that it introduces too much error, this article shows the second-order sampling is not appropriate for sampling of the wide-band signal generally used in ultrasound imaging systems. Also, this article suggests new sampling methods that maintain the advantages and reduce the unavoidable errors of the second-order sampling method. From computer simulation it is expected that the proposed methods reduce the errors of the second-order sampling method and can be used in real applications.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.105-114
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• 2022

Background: The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is used in the colleges of Korean Medicine, but few studies have validated the OSCE evaluation criteria or post-education questionnaires. Diagnostic ultrasound is used in Korean medicine treatment including acupuncture, acupotomy, and pharmacopuncture to increase the safety and efficacy of treatment. We aimed to develop and validate a OSCE checklist and questionnaire for diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound training. Methods: A OSCE checklist and rubric for diagnostic ultrasound training, and questionnaire was developed using literature research. Eight expert panelists verified each draft item in a single-round survey. Items with a content validity ratio (CVR) < 0.75 were excluded or modified to reflect the experts' opinions. Results: The OSCE checklist and rubric for diagnostic ultrasound training focusing on volar wrist and carpal tunnel syndrome included: 15 items revised according to CVR and expert opinions, the pre-examination procedure, structures to be identified by ultrasound, scans with 2 diagnostic criteria for carpal tunnel syndrome, an explanation of the exam results, and the post exam procedure. The questionnaire consisted of 15 items, including the overall evaluation of training, the effect of the OSCE, and the perception of the ultrasound. All 6 self-evaluation items were not revised, as they had a CVR of ≥ 0.75. Conclusion: An ultrasound OSCE for scanning the volar wrist and diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome was developed using 15 validated tasks, 15 survey questions about ultrasound training, and 6 questions for self-evaluation. These results may be used in the future for education in diagnostic ultrasound.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.22-29
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• 2006

This paper proposes an efficient array beamforming method using spatial matched filtering for ultrasound imaging. In the proposed method, ultrasound waves are transmitted from an array subaperture with fixed transmit focus as in conventional array imaging. At receive, radio frequency (RF) echo signals from each receive channel are passed through a spatial matched filter that is constructed based on the system transmit-receive spatial impulse response. The filtered echo signals are then summed. The filter remaps and spatially registers the acoustic energy from each element so that the pulse-echo impulse response of the summed output is focused with acceptably low side lobes. Analytical beam pattern analysis and simulation results using a linear array show that the proposed spatial filtering method can provide more improved spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) compared with conventional dynamic receive focusing (DRF) method by implementing two-way dynamically focused beam pattern throughout the field.

• 비파괴검사학회지
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.134-140
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• 2015

전통적인 뜸 요법은 시술자의 주관적이고 정성적인 치료로 인해 환자의 피부에 강한 열 자극이 가해져 심한 통증을 주거나 화상을 입히는 문제점을 갖고 있다. 이러한 한계를 극복하기 위한 대안으로 객관성과 정량화가 가능한 초음파를 활용한 뜸 자극 치료기술이 주목받고 있다. 하지만, 초음파 에너지를 열에너지로 변환하기 위해서는 초음파 치료기기의 음향렌즈에 따른 초음파 집속 특성 분석이 필요하다. 따라서, 본 논문에서는 초음파 집속 특성에 영향을 주는 음향렌즈의 형태(오목렌즈, 계단형 렌즈)에 따른 집속 시뮬레이션을 통해 각 렌즈의 음압 분포, 음압의 크기, 초점의 위치를 계산하였으며, 설계한 렌즈를 제작하여 음압 측정 실험을 통해 음향렌즈의 집속 성능을 검증하였다.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.233-240
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• 2009

Using a spatial compound imaging technique in a medical ultrasound imaging system, the average speed of sound in a medium of interest is measured, and imaging of its distribution is implemented. When the brightness reaches the highest level in an ultrasonic image obtained as the speed of sound used in focusing is varied, it turns out that the focusing has been accomplished satisfactorily and that the speed of sound which has been adopted becomes the sought-after average speed of sound. Because spatial compound imaging provides many different views of the same object, the adverse effect of erroneous speed-of-sound estimation tends to be more severe in compound imaging than in plain B-mode imaging. Thus, in compound imaging, the average speed of sound even in the case of speckled images can be accurately estimated by observing the brightness change due to different speeds of sound employed. Using this new method that offers spatial diversity, we can construct an image of the speed of sound distribution in a phantom embedded with a 10-mm diameter plastic cylinder whose speed of sound is different from that of the background. The speed of sound in the cylinder is found to be different from that of the surrounding medium.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.321-325
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• 1998

일반적으로 현재의 초음파 의료영상시스템에서 지연시간의 계산에 사용하는 음속도는 인체의연조직에서의 평균속도인 1540m/s 의 값을 이용한다. 그러나 사람마다 혹은 매질의 특성에 따라 초음파의 속도가 크게 차이가 나서 고정된 속도를 이용한 집속 지연시간 계산에는 오차가 발생한다. 이는 해상도의 저하를 가져올 뿐만 아니라, 매질의 기하학적인 크기나 거리정보가 필요한, 심장이나 신장의 용적을 계산과 같은 경우에는 큰 오차를 가져온다. 따라서 매질의 속도를 정확히 구하는 것이 해상도 향상의 중요한 관건의 하나임을 알 수가 있다. 본 논문에서는 이를 위해 매질내의 관심영역에서의 밝기를 최대화시켜주는 접속지연시간 프로파일을 구해 매질 내에서의 옴파의 속도를 측정하여 실제 초음파 팬텀에 적응하여 좋은 결과를 얻을 수 있었다.

• Biomedical Engineering Letters
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.355-364
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• 2018

When focusing using an ultrasonic transducer array, a main lobe is formed in the focal region of an ultrasound field, but side lobes also arise around the focal region due to the leakage. Since the side lobes cannot be completely eliminated in the focusing process, they are responsible for subsequent ultrasound image quality degradation. To improve ultrasound image quality, a signal processing strategy to reduce side lobes is definitely in demand. To this end, quantitative determination of main and side lobes is necessary. We propose a theoretically and actually error-free method of exactly discriminating and separately computing the main lobe and side lobe parts in ultrasound image by computer simulation. We refer to images constructed using the main and side lobe signals as the main and side lobe images, respectively. Since the main and side lobe images exactly represent their main and side lobe components, respectively, they can be used to evaluate ultrasound image quality. Defining the average brightness of the main and side lobe images, the conventional to side lobe image ratio, and the main to side lobe image ratio as image quality metrics, we can evaluate image characteristics in speckle images. The proposed method is also applied in assessing the performance of side lobe suppression filtering. We show that the proposed method may greatly aid in the evaluation of medical ultrasonic images using computer simulations, albeit lacking the use of actual experimental data.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.503-513
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• 1999

본 논문에서는 일반적인 합성구경기법에 대한 통합 모형을 제시하고 수학적인 해석을 통하여 합성구경 기법들에 대한 초음파 빔패턴의 단일 표현식을 유도하였다. 이 결과를 이용하여 기존의 합성구경 기법들에 대한 성능을 분석하고 비교하였으며, 선형주사 영상에 적합한 새로운 합성구경 기법을 제안하였다. 제안된 방법은 모든 영상점에서 양방향 동적 집속이 가능하며, 이를 실제 영상에 적용하여 의료용 초음파 B-모드 영상의 해상도를 획기적으로 개선할 수 있다. 제안된 방법에 의하여 집속된 초음파 빔패턴은 기존의 방식과 비교하여 주엽의 폭이 절반으로 감소하고 측엽의 크기는 유사하다. 컴퓨터 모사실험을 통하여 본 논문의 해석결과와 제안된 합성구경 기법의 타당성을 검증하였다.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.9-18
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• 1998

본 논문은 초음파 의용 영상에서 인체내의 매질의 초음파 속도의 불균일에 의한 focusing의 저하에 대하여 논하였다. simulation환경으로, 인체 내의 매질 중 속도 값이 가장 큰 차이가 나는 지방(fat)을 일정한 두께로 모델링하였다. 그리고 초음파 빔의 굴절에 의한 진행경로의 변화와 속도차이에 따른 시간지연에 의한 해상도 저하를 구하였다. 그리고 이를 보상하는 방법으로, 보상에 계산량이 많이 필요한 굴절을 무시하고, 속도차에 의한 시간지연만 보상하는 방법을 제안하였다. 제안한 방법을 적용할 경우 현재의 실시간 디지털 focusing 시스템에서 쉽게 구현 가능하다.

• 대한전기학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전기학회 1987년도 전기.전자공학 학술대회 논문집(II)
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• pp.1235-1238
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• 1987

In this paper, a new focusing method, to be called the sampled delay focusing (SDF), is proposed. This method improves the lateral resolution in ultrasound imaging system. In SDF, the analog delay lines are no longer necessary because sampling sum process can replace the conventional delay sum process. Also, this method offers continuous dynamic focusing on the resolution pixel basis if the maximum delay time is less than the sampling interval. Second order sampling is adopted in order to extend the sampling interval.