• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.147-153
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• 2020

This study was to evaluate the usability of self-developed phantom for evaluating automatic exposure control (AEC) using three-dimensions (3D) printer. 3D printer of fused deposition modeling (FDM) type was utilized to make the self-developed AEC phantom and image acquisitions were conducted by two different type of scanners. The self-developed AEC phantom consisted of four different size of portions. As a result, two types of phantom (pyramid and pentagon shape) were created according to the combination of the layers. For evaluating the radiation dose with the two types of phantom, the values of tube current, computed tomography dose index volume (CTDIvol), and dose length product (DLP) were compared. As a result, it was confirmed that the values of tube current were properly reflected according to the thickness, and the CTDIvol and DLP were not significantly changed regardless of AEC functions of different scanners. In conclusion, the self-developed phantom by using 3D printer could assess whether the AEC function works well. So, we confirmed the possibility that a self-made phantom could replace the commercially expensive AEC performance evaluation phantom.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.659-667
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) in abdominal X-ray radiography using automatic exposure control (AEC). This study included 321 patients who underwent abdominal X-ray using AEC, and we correlated ESAK with height, weight, BMI and compared mean ESAK according to BMI grades (Underweight, Normal, Overweight, Obese 1, Obese 2). As a result, Weight ($R^2=0.777$, p<.001) and BMI ($R^2=0.835$, p<.001) were positively associated with ESAK, but no significant association was found between height ($R^2=0.075$, p<.001) and ESAK. The mean ESAK with respect to BMI grades showed statistically significant difference and in the post-hoc analysis, the existence of 5 subgroups at the significance level of 0.05 indicated that there were differences in the ESAK in all BMI grades. Also, as the increment of ESAK between two neighboring BMI grades increases from Underweight to Obese 2, the exposure dose dramatically increased as the BMI increased. Thus, an excessive exposure dose due to increasing BMI when using AEC should be acknowledged and Efforts to reduce dose should be taken, such as: by fixing the exposure conditions.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 1991

Automatic exposure control systems are now readily available and widly used in radiography. A device that automatically determines the amount of radiation required to produce an acceptable level of film blackness is called a phototimer, or automatic exposure control. There are limitations in the use of phototimers ; however, equipment can be used much more effectively if one recognize these limitations, and the goal of obtaining a properly exposed, reproducible radiography can be achieved. We have some results in this experimental study. The variations of film density due to kVp are in propotion to below 80 kVp range. But indicate constant level above 80 kVp to 120 kVp. The characteristic density variation by phantom thickness shows the higher the thiner in exit type. AEC system have a density control that is designed to make adjustments increase or decreas the density 10% per step or 25% per step. The automatic exposure control circuits must meet the several regulations of the HEW. Some forms of technique chart is recomened for use of AEC.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of automatic exposure control (AEC) control factors in digital radiography systems based on the fine contrast images using coin phantoms. The AEC control factors were targeted at the range of dominent zone, sensitivity, and density. The dominent zone was divided into cases where a single coin was used to cover the field configuration, and cases where seven coins were used to cover the field configuration. The sensitivity was classified into three stages (200, 400, 800) and the density was classified into three stages (2.5, 0, 2.5). Image quality was evaluated by signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR). Then, the automatically exposed tube current was measured. As a result, the X-ray image of seven coins obtained a result value of about 1.2 times higher for SNR and 1.9 times higher for CNR than the X-ray image for one coin. The tube current was also about 1.6 times higher. In conclusion, In AEC, the higher the field configuration and dominent zone are matched and the higher the density, the lower the sensitivity, which increases the tube current and CNR, which increases the image quality. Therefore, it is judged that the appropriate setting of the range of dominent zone, sensitivity, and density of the control, which is the AEC control factor, could improve the fine contrast of images.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2015.10a
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• pp.86-89
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• 2015

Quantitative Evaluation of Image Quality using Automatic Exposure Control This it leads, the relationship of control and image between of photographing condition, DR proper use method proposing. Chest phantom acquires Chest PA images which it follows in conditional change, Image evaluation factor (SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio), CNR (Contrast to Noise Ratio), PSNR (Peak Signal to Ratio), RMS (Root Mean Square)). It excepted RMS price, SNR, CNR, PSNR the case which uses AEC it came out being high The fact that the quality of image is better there was a case which does not use AEC. but Price it was slight. Image qualitative it was deficient in AEC use presence. Through this, the overall situation and most efficient use of radiation workers is better suited. But Passive AEC use would be appropriate for use rather than proactive AEC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.871-877
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• 2022

This study was conducted to improve the problems of exposure dose and image reading applied to patients due to the incorrect use of AEC during chest radiography. Images were acquired by dividing the case where AEC was used as the test condition and the case where AEC was not used. As a result of the study, the dose was reduced by 1.17% in 110 kVp without AEC than with AEC, 17.2% decrease at 100 kVp, 30.19% decrease at 90 kVp, and 46.45% decrease at 80 kVp. There was a significant difference in the statistical values according to the tube voltage change in the lung, trachea, and heart SNR average values with AEC and without AEC 110 kVp, but the difference in image quality was insignificant in actual images. When AEC was not applied at the same tube voltage, the dose could be reduced by 17.2% while maintaining the image quality similar to that of with AEC at 100 kVp without AEC. Therefore, rather than relying on AE conditions during chest radiographic examination, it is considered that the conditions should be considered for the examination while lowering the dose by selecting an appropriate tube voltage.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 1998

AEC was designed to assist in the production of radiographs of equal density and to aid in the production f consistently high quality radiographs. Many improvements have been made in the AEC and these have helped to increase it's acceptance. Newer system (Falling load) control kVp and mA as well as exposure time. Authors have had experiments about the characteristics of AEC by Zone System. Zone System is the method to detection of photographic image qualify by control the photo print from Fred Archer and Ansel Adams. With the Zone System theory the experiments of density control, characteristics of phantom thickness and reproducibility of occupation rate of contrast media could make quality control of X-ray photography effectively in falling load system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.635-642
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to analysis the effects of shielding area of field configuration with changing of sensitivity and density on tube current (milliampere-seconds, mAs) and image quality in automatic exposure control (AEC) system. The equipment used a digital radiography device (Digital Diagnost, Philips, Netherlands), which has a integral type with an X-ray tube and an indirect digital detector. The AEC system conditions were consisted of 9 setting environments, that mode changing of the sensitivity (S200, S400, S800) and the density (+2.5, 0, -2.5). The tube current evaluated automatically exposed mAs under 81 combination conditions crossed by AEC conditions in fixed at 40 kVp. The image quality evaluated the radiographic images that selected valid images by visual assessment the radiographic images of the self-produced conical pyramid phantom and then measured their signal to noise ratio (SNR). As a result, the maximum tube current was 60.0 mAs that automatically exposed conditions were the 100% of shielding area and the sensitivity of S200 and the density of +2.5. The minimum tube current was 0.9 mAs with non-shielding area and the sensitivity of S800 and the density of -2.5. When the shielded area 0% with the sensitivity of S200 and the density of +2.5, the maximum SNR was the highest as 25.2. But when the shielded area 25% with the sensitivity of S800 and the density of -2.5, the minimum SNR was the lowest as 4.7.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.137-144
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of reducing of craniofacial radiation dose using automatic exposure control (AEC) technique in the 64 multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). We used SOMATOM Definition 64 multi-detector CT, and head of whole body phantom (KUPBU-50, Kyoto Kagaku CO. Ltd). The protocol were helical scan method with 120 kVp, 1 sec of rotation time, 5 mm of slice thickness and increment, 250 mm of FOV, $512{\times}512$ of matrix size, $64{\times}0.625\;mm$ of collimation, and 1 of pitch. The evaluation of dose reducing effect was compared the fixed tube current of 350 with AEC technique. The image quality was measured the noise using standard deviation of CT number. The range of craniofacial bone was to mentum end from calvaria apex, which devided three regions: calvaria~superciliary ridge (1 segment), superciliary ridge~acanthion (2 segment), and acanthion~mentum (3 segment). In the fixed tube current technique, CTDIvol was 57.7 mGy, DLP was $640.2\;mGy{\cdot}cm$ in the all regions. The AEC technique was showed that 1 segment were 30.7 mGy of CTDIvol, 340.7 $mGy{\cdot}cm$ of DLP, 2 segment were 46.5 mGy of CTDIvol, $515.0\;mGy{\cdot}cm$ of DLP, and 3 segment were 30.3 mGy of CTDIvol, $337.0\;mGy{\cdot}cm$ of DLP. The standard deviation of CT number was 2.622 with the fixed tube current technique and 3.023 with the AEC technique in the 1 segment, was 3.118 with the fixed tube current technique and 3.379 with the AEC technique in the 2 segment, was 2.670 with the fixed tube current technique and 3.186 with the AEC technique in the 3 segment. The craniofacial radiation dose using AEC Technique in the 64 MDCT was evaluated the usefulness of reducing for the eye, the parotid and thyroid with high radiation sensitivity particularly.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 2007

This study attempts to propose an appropriate method of using digital medical imaging equipments, by studying the effects of automatic exposure control(AEC), grid ratio and the change of radiography distance on the patient dose and detertor acquisition dose during the procedure of acquiring image through a digital medical imaging detector. The change of dose following the change of grid ratio's exposure and radiography distance was measured, by using an abdominal phantom organized with tissue equivalent materials in an amorphous silicon thin film transistor detecter installed with AWC. The case to use grid ratio 12 : 1, focal distance 180cm to radiography distance 110cm in AEC, the patient dose increased rather when we used grid ration 10 : 1, focal distance 110cm. When AEC was not used,the dose necessary for image acquisition decreased as the grid ratio became higher and the distance became further. but detector acquisition dose was not reduced when in applied AEC. When purchasing digiral medical imaging equipments, optional items such as AEC and grid shall be accurately selected to satisfy the use of the equipments. Radiography error made by radiation technologist and unnenessary patient dose can be reduced by selecting equipments with a radiography distance marker equipment when it did not apply AEC. These equipments can also be helpful in maintaining high imaging quality, one of the merits of digital detectors.