• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.379-381
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• 2002

A single CdZnTe detector is tested for suitability in a prototype CT/ SPECT system designed to acquire both emission and transmission data. The detector has the size of 1${\times}$l-cm$^2$ with 4${\times}$4 1.5${\times}$l.5mm$^2$ pixellated anodes. Since the detector is smaller than imaged object, we translated it in an arc centered at the x-ray tube to image larger objects. Pulse counting electronics with very short shaping time (50 ns) are used to satisfy high photon rates in x-ray imaging, and response linearity up to 3${\times}$10$\^$5/ counts per second per detector element is achieved. The energy resolution of 122-keV gamma-ray is measured to be 14%. We have characterized the system performance by scanning a radiographic resolution phantom .and the Hoffman brain phantom. The spatial resolution of CT and SPECT are about 1 mm and 7 mm, respectively.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2022

Background: For proper monitoring of the eye lens dose, an appropriate calibration factor of a dosimeter and information about the mean energies of X-rays are indispensable. The scattered X-ray energy spectra should be well characterized in medical practices where eye lenses of medical staffs might be high. Materials and Methods: Scattered X-ray energy spectra were experimentally derived for three different types of X-ray diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, i.e., the computed tomography (CT) scan, the angiography and the fluoroscopy. A commercially available CdZnTe (CZT) spectrometer with a lead collimator was employed for the measurement of scattered X-rays, which was performed in the usual manner. Results and Discussion: From the obtained energy spectra, the mean energies of the scattered X-rays lied between 40 and 60 keV. This also agreed with that obtained by the conventional half value layer method. Conclusion: The scattered X-rays to which medical workers may be exposed in the region around the eyes were characterized by means of spectrometry. The obtained mean energies of the scattered X-rays were found to match the flat region of the dosimeter response.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.105-110
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• 2016

Sparse angular sampling has been studied recently owing to its potential to decrease the radiation exposure from computed tomography (CT). In this study, we investigated the analytic reconstruction algorithm in sparse angular sampling using the sinogram interpolation method for improving image quality and computation speed. A prototype of the spectral CT system, which has a 64-pixel Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT)-based photon-counting detector, was used. The source-to-detector distance and the source-to-center of rotation distance were 1,200 and 1,015 mm, respectively. Two energy bins (23~33 keV and 34~44 keV) were set to obtain two reconstruction images. We used a PMMA phantom with height and radius of 50.0 mm and 17.5 mm, respectively. The phantom contained iodine, gadolinium, calcification, and lipid. The Feld-kamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) with the sinogram interpolation method and Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization (MLEM) algorithm were used to reconstruct the images. We evaluated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the materials. The SNRs of iodine, calcification, and liquid lipid were increased by 167.03%, 157.93%, and 41.77%, respectively, with the 23~33 keV energy bin using the sinogram interpolation method. The SNRs of iodine, calcification, and liquid state lipid were also increased by 107.01%, 13.58%, and 27.39%, respectively, with the 34~44 keV energy bin using the sinogram interpolation method. Although the FDK algorithm with the sinogram interpolation did not produce better results than the MLEM algorithm, it did result in comparable image quality to that of the MLEM algorithm. We believe that the sinogram interpolation method can be applied in various reconstruction studies using the analytic reconstruction algorithm. Therefore, the sinogram interpolation method can improve the image quality in sparse-angular sampling and be applied to CT applications.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.25-25
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• 2010

Cu(In, Ga)$Se_2$ (CIGS), $CuInS_2$ (CIS) 등의 Se, S계 화합물 박막 소재를 활용한 태양전지는 높은 광흡수 계수, 상대적으로 높은 효율, 화학적 안정성, 도시적인 미관 등으로 인하여 최근 부각되고 있다. 하지만 CIGS, CIS 등의 Se, S계 박막 소재는 상대적으로 매장량이 적은(희유 원소) In, Ga을 사용하고 있는 약점이 있으며 특히 In의 경우는 LCD Display에 사용되는 ITO 필름으로 인해 가격이 상승하고 있다. 따라서 결정질 실리콘 태양전지의 경험에서와 같이 생산량의 급증에서 기인하는 소재 부족 문제를 미연에 방지하고 안정적인 성장을 이루기 위해서는 희유 원소인 In과 Ga을 저가 범용원소로 대체 하는 기술을 추가적으로 개발해야 한다. $Cu_2ZnSnS_4$ (CZTS) 박막 태양전지는 Se, S계 태양전지에서 III 족 원소인 In, Ga을 II-IV 원소인 Zn와 Sn으로 대체하는 기술로 기존의 CIGS계 태양전지가 보유하고 있는 장점을 유지하면서 저가 태양전지를 구현할 수 있는 대체 물질로 최근 많은 관심을 받고 있다. CZTS 박막 태양전지 관련 세계 기술동향 조사에 따르면, 최근 2008년에 일본 Nagaoka 대학의 Katagiri 그룹에서 스퍼터를 이용하여 제조한 CZTS 박막 태양전지의 최고 효율이 6.77%가 됨을 보고하였고, 2010년 초에는 IBM에서 스핀코팅법을 이용하여 제조한 CZT(S, Se) 박막 태양전지의 효율을 9.66%까지 올릴 수 있음을 Advanced Materials에 보고하였다. 본 발표에서는 우선 CZTS 박막태양전지 제조 및 특성 분석 관련 개요 및 세계 기술 개발 동향 분석 결과를 설명할 것이다. 또한 본 실험실, 에너지 기술 연구원 및 KIST, 영남대 등 국내에서 진행되고 있는 CZTS 관련 기술 개발 현황에 대하여 설명할 것이다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2014

IAEA has employed various types of radiation detectors - HPGe, NaI, CZT - for accountancy of nuclear material. Among them, HPGe has been mainly used in verification activities required for high accuracy. Due to its essential cooling component(a liquid-nitrogen cooling or a mechanical cooling system), it is large and heavy and needs long cooling time before use. New hand-held portable HPGe has been developed to address such problems. This paper deals with results of performance evaluation test of the new hand-held portable HPGe prototype which was used during IAEA's inspection activities. Radioactive spectra obtained with the new portable HPGe showed different characteristics depending on types and enrichments of nuclear materials inspected. Also, Gamma-rays from daughter radioisotopes in the decay series of $^{235}U$ and $^{238}U$ and characteristic x-rays from uranium were able to be remarkably separated from other peaks in the spectra. A relative error of enrichment measured by the new portable HPGe was in the range of 9 to 27%. The enrichment measurement results didn't meet partially requirement of IAEA because of a small size of a radiation sensing material. This problem might be solved through a further study. This paper discusses how to determine enrichment of nuclear material as well as how to apply the new hand-held portable HPGe to safeguard inspection. There have been few papers to deal with IAEA inspection activity in Korea to verify accountancy of nuclear material in national nuclear facilities. This paper would contribute to analyzing results of safeguards inspection. Also, it is expected that things discussed about further improvement of a radiation detector would make contribution to development of a radiation detector in the related field.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.80-85
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• 2017

Purpose The D530c have cadmium zinc telluride(CZT) detectors that are arranged focus on the heart. This structural characteristic allows for quicker imaging without rotation, but this is sensitive to patient movement and can affect the test results. The aim of this study is to optimize the image quality by reducing patient movement during the examination. Materials and Methods We analyzed the patients' movements, and performed various activities such as provided patient education about correct breathing techniques and avoiding patient movements, and created breathing correction tools to minimize patient movement during exam. The 70 patients who underwent myocardial perfusion SPECT with D530c in November 2016 were categorized as the group before the corrective steps. Another 70 patients who underwent the procedure with D530c from February 14, 2017 to February 21, 2017 were categorized as the improvement group. Images acquired during stress and at rest were compared and analyzed by measuring the durations of heart movements over certain distances (4 mm, 8 mm, 12 mm, or more) noted on the x-, y-, and zaxes. Results After the activities, the durations of heart movements decreased in the images acquired both under stress and at rest. In particular, there were no large motions greater than 12 mm recorded in the stress images after the improvement. There was a significant difference (p<0.005) in the 4-mm and 8-mm fluctuations on the X-axis and the 8-mm fluctuations on the Z axis in the stress images, but there was no significant difference (p>0.005) in the other stress and rest intervals. Conclusion The decrease in the time of motion occurrence due to the 4 mm fluctuation distance that can occur through breathing can be understood as a result of the breathing being corrected through training and motion prevention tools. It is expected that the image quality will be improved by reducing the occurrence time according to the variation distance of 8 mm or 12 mm, which is expected as the actual movement of the patient other than the breathing.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.88-91
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• 2018

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the simultaneous dual isotope (SDI) myocardial perfusion scan that can be performed in a short time using a semiconductor gamma camera. Materials and Methods Of the 86 patients who underwent Rest/Stress $^{99m}TC$-sestaMIBI 1-day myocardial perfusion scan and Rest $^{99m}TC$-sestaMIBI/Stress $^{201}Tl$ simultaneous dual isotope myocardial perfusion scan using a heart-only gamma camera, the test results were the same, 36 patients who did not show any change in the clinical outcome. Quantitative values were statistically analyzed using a QPS program to confirm the correlation between the images of the two examinations. Results Rest/Stress $^{99m}TC$-sestaMIBI simultaneous dual myocardial perfusion scans and $^{99m}TC$-sestaMIBI/Stress $^{201}Tl$ double-isotope myocardial perfusion scans were analyzed for Summed score. The $R^2$ value of the Rest summed score (RSS) was 0.91 and the $R^2$ value of the stress summed score (SSS) was 0.71. Conclusion The $^{99m}TC$-sestaMIBI/Stress $^{201}Tl$ simultaneous dual isotope scan confirmed its correlation with the previous day's test. The $^{99m}TC$-sestaMIBI/Stress $^{201}Tl$ simultaneous dual isotope scan can be completed in approximately 30minutes. It maybe clinically useful for patients who need short examination time such as emergency patients or elderly patients.