• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.991-999
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• 2003

In this paper, we proposed image acquisition techniques that can reflect anatomical airway information lot breath change by EBCT Also, we proposed new method to detect automatically boundary of inner airway for acquired slice images using this image acquisition technology. We confirmed that new method detects boundary of inner airway effectively through computer simulation that apply image data about each slice position of airway. And, we could see change for cross section area of inner airway by time change. Therefore, we think that proposed method can utilize on quantitative analysis in clinical field.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.173-181
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• 2014

In this paper, the algorithm that can automatically segment the lung, the airway and the pulmonary vessels in a chest CT was proposed. The proposed method is progressed in three steps. In the first step, the lung and the airway are segmented by the region growing law through the optimal threshold and three-dimensional labeling. In the second, from the start point to the first carina of the airway is segmented by the deduction operation, and the next airway of the bifurcations are segmented by applying a variable threshold technique. In the third step, the left/right lungs are divided by the restoration process for the lung, and the outside of lungs for abnormal is checked by applying the advanced rolling ball algorithm, and if abnormal is found, that part is removed, and it is restored to the normal lungs by connecting the outside of the lung in the form of second-order polynomial. Finally, pulmonary vessels are segmented by applying the three-dimensional connected component labeling method and three-dimensional region growing method. As the results of simulation, it could be confirmed that the pulmonary vascular is accurately divided without loss of tissue around lung.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2007.07a
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• pp.279-280
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• 2007

Airway wall thickness is an important bio-marker for evaluation of pulmonary diseases such as stenosis, bronchiectasis. Nevertheless, an image-based analysis of the airway tree can provide precise and valuable airway size information, quantitative measurement of airway wall thickness in CT images involves various sources of error and uncertainty. So we have developed an accurate airway wall measurement technique for small airways with three-dimensional (3-D) approach. To illustrate performance of these techniques, we used airway phantom that consisted of 4 acryl tubes with various inner and outer diameters. Results show that evaluation of interpolation and deconvolution methods of airways in 3-D CT images, and significant improvement over the full-width-half-maximum method for measurement of not only location of the luminal and outer edge of the airway wall but airway wall thickness.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.115-122
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• 2021

Oral cancer surgery typically consists of resection of lesion, neck dissection and reconstruction, and it has an impact on the position of hyoid bone. Therefore, morphological change of airway can occur since the geometric parameter of airway is correlated with the hyoid bone. Airflow is affected by geometry of the airway. In this study, flow characteristics were compared between pre- and post-surgery models by both particle image velocimetry (PIV) and numerical simulation. 3D model of upper airway was reconstructed based on CT data. Velocity is accelerated by the reduced channel area, and vortex and recirculation region are observed in pre- and post-surgery models. For the post-surgery model, high pressure distribution is developed by significantly decreased hydraulic diameter, and the longitudinal flow stream is also interrupted.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.110-115
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• 1999

Objectives: To investigate the effect of mandibular repasitioning device on airway sige and airway collapsibility in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS). Methods: Cine CT with polysomnographic monitoring was performed during sleep in nine(OSAS) patients before and after manibular repositioning device(MRD) application. Axial CT images were obtained in five upper airway levels(retropalatal-high, retroalatal-low, retroglossal, epiglottis, and hypopharynx levels). In each airway level, one axial CT image was obtained during sleep apnea period and 10 serial axial CT images were scanned every 1 second during normal sleep breathing. After wearing MRD, all CT images were obtained by the same method. The cross-sectional areas of airway were measured by automatic tracing method. The changes of minimum airway size and maximum airway size after MRD were evaluated. The airway collapsibility was calculaed before and after MRD. Results: During sleep apnea, the airway of retropalatal-low level was the most frequently narrowest site. During normal sleep breahing the minimum airway size was increased significantly after MRD at retropalatal-low level(p=0.011). The mean airway collapsibility was the highest at retropalatal-low level. MRD decreased the airway collapsibility significantly at retropalatal-low level(p=0.021) and epiglottis level(p=0.038). Conclusions: The enlargement of the minimum airway size and decreased airway collapsibility may be the therapeutic mechanism of MRD in obstructive sleep apnea.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.30 no.11 s.254
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• pp.1051-1056
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• 2006

The mean and RMS velocity field of the respiratory gas flow in the human airway was studied experimentally by particle image velocimetry (PIV). Some researchers investigated the airflow for the mouth breathing case both experimentally and numerically. But it is very rare to investigate the airflow of nose breathing in a whole airway due to its geometric complexity. We established the procedure to create a transparent rectangular box containing a model of the human airway for PIV measurement by combination of the RP and the curing of clear silicone. We extend this to make a whole airway including nasal cavities, larynx, trachea, and 2 generations of bronchi. The CBC algorithm with window offset (64 $\times$ 64 to 32 $\times$ 32) is used for vector searching in PIV analysis. The phase averaged mean and RMS velocity distributions in Sagittal and coronal planes are obtained for 7 phases in a respiratory period. Some physiologic conjectures are obtained. The main stream went through the backside of larynx and trachea in inspiration and the frontal side in expiration. There exist vortical motions in inspiration, but no prominent one in expiration.

• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.702-712
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• 2013

In this paper, we proposed an algorithm that extracts the airway and lung without loss of information in spite of the pulmonary vessel and nodules of the chest wall in the chest CT images. We use a mask image in order to improve the performance and to save processing time of airway and lung segmentation. In the second step, by converting left and right lungs to binary image using the morphological information, we have removed the solitary pulmonary nodule to identify the value of the threshold lung and the chest wall. The last step is to connect the outer shell of the lung with cubic Spline interpolation by adding the perfect pixel and computing the distance of the removed part. Experimental results using Matlab verified that the proposed method could overcome the drawbacks of the conventional methods.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.243-248
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• 2019

The respiratory tract is an essential part of the respiratory system involved in the process of respiration. However, if stenosis occurs, it interferes with breathing and can even lead to death. Asthma is a typical example of a reversible cause of airway narrowing, and the number of patients suffering from acute exacerbation is steadily increasing. Therefore, it is important to detect airway narrowing early and prevent the patient's condition from worsening. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), which has high resolution, is suitable for observing the microstructure of tissues. In this study we developed an endoscopic OCT system. We combined a 1300-nm OCT system with a servo motor, which can rotate at a high speed. A catheter was pulled back using a linear stage while imaging with 360° rotation by the motor. The motor was selected considering various requirements, such as torque, rotational speed, and gear ratio of pulleys. An ex vivo rabbit tracheal model was used as a sample, and the sample and catheter were immobilized by acrylic structures. The OCT images provided information about the structures of the mucosa and submucosa. The difference between normal and stenosed parts in the trachea was confirmed by OCT. Furthermore, through a three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction process, it was possible to identify and diagnose the stenosis in the 3-D image of the airway, as well as the cross-sectional image. This study would be useful not only for diagnosing airway stenosis, but also for realizing 3-D imaging.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2014

Drug delivery in human upper airway was studied by the numerical simulation of oral airflow. We created an anatomically accurate upper airway model from CT scan data by using a medical image processing software (Mimics). The upper airway was composed of oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and second generations of branches. Thin sliced CT data and meticulous refinement of model surface under the ENT doctor's advice provided more sophisticated nasal cavity models. With this 3D upper airway models, numerical simulation was conducted by ANSYS/FLUENT. The steady inspiratory airflows in that model was solved numerically for the case of flow rate of 250 mL/s with drug-laden spray(Q= 20, 40, 60 mL/s). Optimal parameters for mechanical drug aerosol targeting of predetermined areas was to be computed, for a given representative upper airways. From numerical flow visualization results, as flow-rate of drug-laden spray increases, the drag spray residue in oral cavity was increased and the distribution of drug spray in trachea and branches became more homogeneous.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.358-364
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• 2023

Objective: This study aimed to three-dimensionally evaluate the pharyngeal airway space (PAS) of patients with anterior open bite (AOB) by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and compare the findings with those obtained in individuals with normal occlusion. Methods: The open bite group (OBG, n = 25) consisted of patients with an anterior overbite of -3 mm or less, while the control group (n = 25) consisted of age- and sex-matched individuals with an anterior overbite of 1-3 mm, Angle Class I malocclusion (1° ≤ point A-nasion-point B angle ≤ 4°), and a normodivergent profile (22° ≤ Frankfort mandibular plane angle ≤ 28°). After the CBCT data were reconstructed into a three-dimensional image, the PAS was segmented into four parts, and the volume of each part was measured. Pharyngeal airway length (PAL) and the area and transverse width of the part showing minimal constriction were also measured. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between changes in the PAS and the amount of anterior overbite. Results: The OBG showed a significantly narrower airway space in the nasopharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and total airway volumes. The OBG also showed a significantly smaller area and transverse width of the part with minimal constriction. The OBG showed a significantly longer PAL, but there was no correlation between the amount of anterior overbite and the changes in PAS. Conclusions: The PAS was associated with AOB. Patients with AOB had a narrower PAS and a smaller part showing minimal constriction.