• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.595-603
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• 2017

The study is to produced a brain phantom simulating corpus striatum, which can evaluate the progression of parkinson's disease, to investigate possibility of reducing the brain exposure dose to CT while maintaining optimal image quality during PET-CT examinations. CT scans were performed by varying tube voltage (100, 120 kVp) and tube current (80, 140, 200 mAs) with $^{18}F$ FP-CIT injected into the phantom's hot sphere and background (radioactivity ratio 3:1)(reference condition; 120 kVp, 140 mAs). Estimated effective dose was calculated by using conversion factor according to each condition, and image quality was evaluated by setting SNR and CRChot image evaluation factors. Experimental results showed that the predicted effective dose below the CT imaging reference condition was reduced by at least 10% and by up to 60%, and the predicted effective dose beyond the reference condition was increased by 40%. In addition, there was no significant difference between SNR and CRChot of PET images, and it was confirmed that brain dose decreased with decrease of tube voltage and tube current. At the same time, there was no significant change in the quality of the image in terms of SNR and CRChot despite the change in scan conditions. This fact suggests that the quality of the images acquired under the existing dose conditions can be obtained even at low dose conditions and it is expected that it will be possible to use the brain PET-CT scan as a basic data for the research on reduction of dose and improvement of image quality.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2006

Purpose: In radiation therapy, precise calculation of dose toward malignant tumors or normal tissue would be a critical factor in determining whether the treatment would be successful. The Radiation Treatment Planning (RTP) system is one of most effective methods to make it effective to the correction of dose due to CT number through converting linear attenuation coefficient to density of the inhomogeneous tissue by means of CT based reconstruction. Materials and Methods: In this study, we carried out the measurement of CT number and calculation of mass density by using RTP system and the homemade inhomogeneous tissue Phantom and the values were obtained with reference to water. Moreover, we intended to investigate the effectiveness and accuracy for the correction of inhomogeneous tissue by the CT number through comparing the measured dose (nC) and calculated dose (Percentage Depth Dose, PDD) used CT image during radiation exposure with RTP. Results: The difference in mass density between the calculated tissue equivalent material and the true value was ranged from $0.005g/cm^3\;to\;0.069g/cm^3$. A relative error between PDD of RTP and calculated dose obtained by radiation therapy of machine ranged from -2.8 to +1.06%(effective range within 3%). Conclusion: In conclusion, we confirmed the effectiveness of correction for the inhomogeneous tissues through CT images. These results would be one of good information on the basic outline of Quality Assurance (QA) in RTP system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.669-679
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• 2022

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of pediatric low-dose facial CT reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) using adequate kernels. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and imaging data of children aged < 10 years who underwent facial CT at our emergency department. The patients were divided into two groups: low-dose CT (LDCT; Group A, n = 73) with a fixed 80-kVp tube potential and automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) and standard-dose CT (SDCT; Group B, n = 40) with a fixed 120-kVp tube potential and ATCM. All images were reconstructed with FBP using bone and soft tissue kernels in Group A and only bone kernel in Group B. The groups were compared in terms of image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Two radiologists subjectively scored the overall image quality of bony and soft tissue structures. The CT dose index volume and dose-length product were recorded. Results Image noise was higher in Group A than in Group B in bone kernel images (p < 0.001). Group A using a soft tissue kernel showed the highest SNR and CNR for all soft tissue structures (all p < 0.001). In the qualitative analysis of bony structures, Group A scores were found to be similar to or higher than Group B scores on comparing bone kernel images. In the qualitative analysis of soft tissue structures, there was no significant difference between Group A using a soft tissue kernel and Group B using a bone kernel with a soft tissue window setting (p > 0.05). Group A showed a 76.9% reduction in radiation dose compared to Group B (3.2 ± 0.2 mGy vs. 13.9 ± 1.5 mGy; p < 0.001). Conclusion The addition of a soft tissue kernel image to conventional CT reconstructed with FBP enables the use of pediatric low-dose facial CT protocol while maintaining image quality.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.517-528
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• 2022

Due to its excellent diagnostic performance, CT is the mainstay of diagnostic test in adults with suspected acute appendicitis in many countries. Although debatable, extensive epidemiological studies have suggested that CT radiation is carcinogenic, at least in children and adolescents. Setting aside the debate over the carcinogenic risk of CT radiation, the value of judicious use of CT radiation cannot be overstated for the diagnosis of appendicitis, considering that appendicitis is a very common disease, and that the vast majority of patients with suspected acute appendicitis are adolescents and young adults with average life expectancies. Given the accumulated evidence justifying the use of low-dose CT (LDCT) of only 2 mSv, there is no reasonable basis to insist on using radiation dose of multi-purpose abdominal CT for the diagnosis of appendicitis, particularly in adolescents and young adults. Published data strongly suggest that LDCT is comparable to conventional dose CT in terms of clinical outcomes and diagnostic performance. In this narrative review, we will discuss such evidence for reducing CT radiation in adolescents and young adults with suspected appendicitis.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.134-138
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• 2007

The current PET/CT system with high quality CT images not only increases diagnostic value by providing anatomic localization, but also shortens the acquisition time for attenuation correction than primary PET system. All commercially available PET/CT system uses the CT scan for attenuation correction instead of the transmission scan using radioactive source such as $^{137}Cs,\;^{68}Ge$. However the CT scan may substantially increase the patient dose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate quality of PET images reconstructed by CT attenuation map using various tube currents. in this study, images were acquired for 3D Hoffman brain phantom and cylindrical phantom using GE DSTe PET/CT system. The emission data were acquired for 10 min using phantoms after injecting 44.03 MBq of $^{18}F-FDG$. The CT images for attenuation map were acquired by changing tube current from 10 mA to 95 mA with fixed exposure time of 8 sec and fixed tube voltage of 140 kVp. The PET images were reconstructed using these CT attenuation maps. Image quality of CT images was evaluated by measuring SD (standard deviation) of cylindrical phantom which was filled with water and $^{18}F-FDG$ solution. The PET images were evaluated by measuring the activity ratio between gray matter and white matter in Hoffman phantom images. SDs of CT images decrease by increasing tube current. When PET images were reconstructed using CT attenuation maps with various tube currents, the activity ratios between gray matter and white matter of PET images were almost same. These results indicated that the quality of the PET images using low dose CT data were comparable to the PET images using general dose CT data. Therefore, the use of low dose CT is recommended than the use of general dose CT, when the diagnostic high quality CT is not required. Further studies may need to be performed for other system, since this study is limited to the GE DSTe system used in this study.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.84-89
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to compare radiation dose and image quality between low-dose (LDP) and standard-dose protocol (SDP). LDP (120 kVp, 30 mAs, 2-mm thickness) and SDP (120 kVp, 180 mAs, 1.2-mm thickness) images obtained from 61 subjects were retrospectively evaluated at level of carina bifurcation, using multi-detector CT (Brilliance 16, Philips Medical Systems). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated at ascending aorta and infraspinatus muscle, from CT number and back-ground noise. Radiation dose from two protocols measured at 5-point using acrylic-phantom, and CT number and noise measured at 4-point using water-phantom. All statistical analysis were performed using SPSS 19.0 program. LDP images showed significantly more noise and a significantly lower SNR and CNR than did SDP images at ascending aorta and infraspinatus muscle. Noise, SNR and CNR were significantly correlated with body mass index (p<0.001). Radiation dose, SNR and CNR from phantom were significant differences between two protocols. LDP showed a significant reduction of radiation dose with a significant change in SNR and CNR compared with SDP. Therefore, exposure dose on LDP in clinical applications needs resetting highly more considering image quality.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.85-95
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• 2010

Purpose: The degradation of an image quality and error of the beam dose calculation can be caused because the metal artifact is generated during the CT simulation of head and neck patient. The usability of the gantry tilt scan for reducing the metal artifact tries to be appraised. Materials and Methods: The inferior $20^{\circ}$ gantry tilt scan was made in order to reduce the metal artifact and $0^{\circ}$ reconstruction image was acquired. The AAPM CT performance Phantom was used in order to compare the CT number of the reconstructed image and Original image. the difference of volume was compared by using the acrylic phantom. The homogeneity of the CT number was evaluated the Intensity volume Histogram (IVH) as in order to evaluate an influence by the metal artifact. A dose was evaluated as the Dose Volume Histogram (DVH). Results: in the comparison of the CT number and volume, the difference showed up less than 0.5%. As to the comparison of IVH, in the gantry tilt scan, influence by an artifact was reduced and the homogeneity of the CT number was improved. The comparison of DVH result reduced the mean dose error of the both sides parotid 0.2~6%. Conclusion: In the Head & Neck radiation therapy, It is difficult and to distinguish tumor and normal tissue and the error of dose is generated by the metal artifact. The delineation of the exact organization was possible if the Gantry tilt scan was used. The CT number homogeneity was improved and the error of dose could be reduced. The Gantry tilt scan confirmed in the Head & Neck radiation therapy to be very useful in the exact radiation therapy.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.287-294
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• 2015

The purpose of this study, was Let's examine the exposure dose at the time of cerebral blood flow CT scan of acute ischemic stroke patients. In particular, long-term high doses of radiation sensitive organs and we Measured using phantom and a glass dosimeter. Apply the existing protocol suggested by the manufacturer (fixed time delay technique) and the proposed new convergence protocol (bolus tracking technique), reporting to measure the dose, dose reduction was to prepare the way. Results up to 39.8% as compared to the existing protocols in a new suggested convergence protocol, a minimum of 5.8% was long-term dose is reduced. Test dose of $CDTI_{vol}$ and DLP values decreased 25%, respectively, were measured at less than recommended dose. Try checking the protocol set out in the existing based on the analysis result of the above, by applying the proposed new convergence protocol by reducing the dose would have to contribute to improved public health. It is believed to be research continues to find the optimum protocol in the other tests.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.292-302
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• 2012

The patient dose in advanced radiotherapy techniques is an important issue. These methods should be evaluated to reduce the dose in diagnostic imaging for radiotherapy. Especially, the Computed Tomography in radiotherapy has been used widely; hence the CT was evaluated for dose and image in this study. The evaluations for dose and image were done in equal condition due to compare the dose and image simultaneously. Furthermore, the possibility of dose and image evaluations by using the Monte Carlo simulation MCNPX was confirmed. We made the iterative reconstruction for low dose CT image to elevate image quality with Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization; MLEM. The system we developed is expected to be used not only to reduce the patient dose in radiotherapy, also to evaluate the overall factors of image modalities in industrial research.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.1871-1876
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• 2013

In this study, we developed and characterized the shielding properties of dose reduction fiber (DRF, Buffalo Co.) sheet during brain and chest CT examinations. The DRF sheet was composed of $1{\sim}500{\mu}m$ oxide Bismuth ($Bi_2O_3$) and 5 ~ 50 nm nano-barium sulfate ($BaSO_4$). Phantom and clinical studies were performed for characterization of the DRF shielding properties. In clinical study, we measured doses of eye, chest, abdomen and reproductive system of 60 patients in 3 hospitals during brain and chest CT examinations. We could determined the shielding effect of the DRF by comparing the doses when we used the DRF sheet or not. When we used the sheet during CT examination, the scattered dose were reduced about 20~50%. So, we suggest that the fiber should be used in radiological examinations for reducing patients doses.