• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2021

The evolution of X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been based on the discovery of X-rays, the inception of the Radon transform, and the development of X-ray digital data acquisition systems and computer technology. Unlike conventional X-ray imaging (general radiography), CT reconstructs cross-sectional anatomical images of the internal structures according to X-ray attenuation coefficients (approximate tissue density) for almost every region in the body. This article reviews the essential physical principles and technical aspects of the CT scanner, including several notable evolutions in CT technology that resulted in the emergence of helical, multidetector, cone beam, portable, dual-energy, and phase-contrast CT, in integrated imaging modalities, such as positron-emission-tomography-CT and single-photon-emission-computed-tomography-CT, and in clinical applications, including image acquisition parameters, CT angiography, image adjustment, versatile image visualizations, volumetric/surface rendering on a computer workstation, radiation treatment planning, and target localization in radiotherapy. The understanding of CT characteristics will provide more effective and accurate patient care in the fields of diagnostics and radiotherapy, and can lead to the improvement of image quality and the optimization of exposure doses.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.87-92
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• 2016

The purpose of this clinical report was to show anatomical variations in permanent maxillary second molar using computed tomography (CT). This case report describes the application of CT to detect the unusual root anatomy of maxillary second molar with 2 separate palatal roots for successful endodontic treatment procedures. The use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) can overcome the limitation of the periapical standard radiography caused by the overlap of buccal and secondary palatal roots.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.151-159
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• 2021

Background: Computed tomography (CT) is one of the crucial diagnostic tools in modern medicine. However, careful monitoring of radiation dose for CT patients is essential since the procedure involves ionizing radiation, a known carcinogen. Materials and Methods: The most desirable CT dose descriptor for risk analysis is the organ absorbed dose. A variety of CT organ dose calculators currently available were reviewed in this article. Results and Discussion: Key common elements included in CT dose calculators were discussed and compared, such as computational human phantoms, CT scanner models, organ dose database, effective dose calculation methods, tube current modulation modeling, and user interface platforms. Conclusion: It is envisioned that more research needs to be conducted to more accurately map CT coverage on computational human phantoms, to automatically segment organs and tissues for patient-specific dose calculations, and to accurately estimate radiation dose in the cone beam computed tomography process during image-guided radiation therapy.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.180-188
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• 2012

Cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) machines recently developed in Korea, being designed for imaging hard tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. I reported a brief overview of CBCT system, in comparison with coventional computed tomography(CT) system. CBCT provides high resolution, simpler image acquisition, lower dose and cost alternative to conventional CT, promising to revolutionize the practice of oral and maxillofacial radiology.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.509-518
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• 2019

Purpose: Lymph node metastasis is a very important prognostic factor for all skin cancers and some sarcomas. A sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is the most useful technique for identifying SLNs. Recently, a new generation of diagnostic tools, such as single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) enabled the detection of SLNs. This study compared the efficacy of PET/CT for detecting lymph node metastases with a SLN biopsy in a single medical center. Materials and Methods: From 2008 to 2018, 72 skin cancers of sarcoma patients diagnosed with some lymph node involvement in a whole body PET/CT reading were assessed. Patients suspected of lymph node metastasis were sent to biopsy and those suspected to be reactive lesions were observed. The analysis was performed retrospectively using the medical records, clinical information, PET/CT readings, and pathology results. Results: The age of patients ranged from 14 to 88 years and the mean follow-up period was 2.4 years. Twenty-two patients were suspected of a lymph node metastasis and confirmed. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of PET/CT images in sarcoma and non-sarcoma tumors were increased significantly when the expert's findings were considered together. Conclusion: PET/CT is effective in detecting lymph node metastases.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.101-106
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• 2011

Purpose : This study evaluated the potential use of the computed tomography indices (CTI) on cone beam CT (CBCT) images for an assessment of the bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Materials and Methods : Twenty-one postmenopausal osteoporotic women and 21 postmenopausal healthy women were enrolled as the subjects. The BMD of the lumbar vertebrae and femur were calculated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) using a DXA scanner. The CBCT images were obtained from the unilateral mental foramen region using a PSR-$9000N^{TM}$ Dental CT system. The axial, sagittal, and coronal images were reconstructed from the block images using $OnDemend3D^{TM}$. The new term "CTI" on CBCT images was proposed. The relationship between the CT measurements and BMDs were assessed and the intra-observer agreement was determined. Results : There were significant differences between the normal and osteoporotic groups in the computed tomography mandibular index superior (CTI(S)), computed tomography mandibular index inferior (CTI(I)), and computed tomography cortical index (CTCI). On the other hand, there was no difference between the groups in the computed tomography mental index (CTMI: inferior cortical width). Conclusion : CTI(S), CTI(I), and CTCI on the CBCT images can be used to assess the osteoporotic women.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.963-964
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• 2013

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2008

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.172-178
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a deep learning architecture combining two task models to generate synthetic computed tomography (sCT) images from low-tesla magnetic resonance (MR) images to improve metallic marker visibility. Methods: Twenty-three patients with cervical cancer treated with intracavitary radiotherapy (ICR) were retrospectively enrolled, and images were acquired using both a computed tomography (CT) scanner and a low-tesla MR machine. The CT images were aligned to the corresponding MR images using a deformable registration, and the metallic dummy source markers were delineated using threshold-based segmentation followed by manual modification. The deformed CT (dCT), MR, and segmentation mask pairs were used for training and testing. The sCT generation model has a cascaded three-dimensional (3D) U-Net-based architecture that converts MR images to CT images and segments the metallic marker. The performance of the model was evaluated with intensity-based comparison metrics. Results: The proposed model with segmentation loss outperformed the 3D U-Net in terms of errors between the sCT and dCT. The structural similarity score difference was not significant. Conclusions: Our study shows the two-task-based deep learning models for generating the sCT images using low-tesla MR images for 3D ICR. This approach will be useful to the MR-only workflow in high-dose-rate brachytherapy.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2023

Purpose: Maxillofacial trauma predominantly affects young adults between 20 and 40 years of age. Although radioprotection is a legal requirement, the significant potential of dose reduction in computed tomography (CT) is still underused in the clinical routine. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether maxillofacial fractures can be reliably detected and classified using ultra-low-dose CT. Materials and Methods: CT images of 123 clinical cases with maxillofacial fractures were classified by two readers using the AOCOIAC software and compared with the corresponding results from post-treatment images. In group 1, consisting of 97 patients with isolated facial trauma, pre-treatment CT images at different dose levels (volumetric computed tomography dose index: ultra-low dose, 2.6 mGy; low dose, <10 mGy; and regular dose, <20 mGy) were compared with post-treatment cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). In group 2, consisting of 31 patients with complex midface fractures, pre-treatment shock room CT images were compared with post-treatment CT at different dose levels or CBCT. All images were presented in random order and classified by 2 readers blinded to the clinical results. All cases with an unequal classification were re-evaluated. Results: In both groups, ultra-low-dose CT had no clinically relevant effect on fracture classification. Fourteen cases in group 2 showed minor differences in the classification code, which were no longer obvious after comparing the images directly to each other. Conclusion: Ultra-low-dose CT images allowed the correct diagnosis and classification of maxillofacial fractures. These results might lead to a substantial reconsideration of current reference dose levels.