• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.42-49
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• 2004

Purpose : The quantization noise in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems is analyzed. The signal-to-quantization noise ratio (SQNR) in the reconstructed image is derived from the level of quantization in the signal in spatial frequency domain. Based on the derived formula, the SQNRs in various main magnetic fields with different receiver systems are evaluated. From the evaluation, the quantization noise could be a major noise source determining overall system signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in high field MRI system. A few methods to reduce the quantization noise are suggested. Materials and methods : In Fourier imaging methods, spin density distribution is encoded by phase and frequency encoding gradients in such a way that it becomes a distribution in the spatial frequency domain. Thus the quantization noise in the spatial frequency domain is expressed in terms of the SQNR in the reconstructed image. The validity of the derived formula is confirmed by experiments and computer simulation. Results : Using the derived formula, the SQNRs in various main magnetic fields with various receiver systems are evaluated. Since the quantization noise is proportional to the signal amplitude, yet it cannot be reduced by simple signal averaging, it could be a serious problem in high field imaging. In many receiver systems employing analog-to-digital converters (ADC) of 16 bits/sample, the quantization noise could be a major noise source limiting overall system SNR, especially in a high field imaging. Conclusion : The field strength of MRI system keeps going higher for functional imaging and spectroscopy. In high field MRI system, signal amplitude becomes larger with more susceptibility effect and wider spectral separation. Since the quantization noise is proportional to the signal amplitude, if the conversion bits of the ADCs in the receiver system are not large enough, the increase of signal amplitude may not be fully utilized for the SNR enhancement due to the increase of the quantization noise. Evaluation of the SQNR for various systems using the formula shows that the quantization noise could be a major noise source limiting overall system SNR, especially in three dimensional imaging in a high field imaging. Oversampling and off-center sampling would be an alternative solution to reduce the quantization noise without replacement of the receiver system.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 1999

INJ-I, INJ-E, PFN, BMI, and PRF were selected among the various factors which constitute a digital linear accelerator to find effects on the dose distribution by changing current and voltage within the permitted scale which Mevatron automatically maintained. We measured the absorbed dose using an ion chamber, analyzed the waveform of beam output using an oscilloscope, and measured symmetry and flatness using a dosimetry system. An RFA plus (Scanditronix, Sweden) device was used as a dosimetry system. Then an 0.6cc ion chamber (PR06C, USA), an electrometer (Capintec192, USA), and an oscilloscope (Tektronix, USA) were employed to measure the changes on the dose distribution characteristics by changing the beam-tuning parameters. When the currents and the voltages of INJ-I, INJ-E, PFN, BMI, and PRF were modified, we were able to see the notable change on the dose rate by examining the change of the output pulse using the oscilloscope and by measuring them using the ion chamber. However, the results of energy and flatness graph from RF A plus were almost identical. The factors had fine differences: INJ-I, INJ-E, PFN, BMI, and PRF had 0.01∼0.02% differences in D10/D20, 0.1∼0.2 % differences in symmetry, and 0.1∼0.4% differences in flatness. Since Mevatron controlled itself automatically to keep the reference value of the factor, it was not able to see large differences in the dose distribution. There were fine differences on the dose rate distribution when the voltage and the currents of the digitized factors were modified Nonetheless, a basic operational management information was achieved.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.242-251
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• 2011

A curriculum of study demands a change as period of time and society evolve. Therefore, at this point where changes are required, this study is to analyze and evaluate the curriculums which will enhance and improve current studies as a preceding stage. The research was based on the survey by groups of education experts and 19 universities with current curriculum of study in radiologic science, and their references. The study was focused on the scope of work by radiologic technologist, change of college systems, academic research about radiologic science, and the improvement and the future of radiologic science field in perspective to globalization and the digital era. In terms of work scope, angiography and interventional radiology at 6 to 8 schools, fluoroscopy at 4 schools, ultrasound and practices at 6 schools, magnetic resonance image at 2 schools were found to be unestablished. The basic medical subjects, humuan physiology, human anatomy and practices, medical terminology courses were set up at most schools; however, pathology at 5 schools, image anatomy at 6 schools, clinical medicine at 11 schools were yet opened. Among the basic science and engineering subjects, general biology and its practices at 11 schools, general physics and its practices at 14 schools, and general chemistry and its practices at 8 schools were established which is about a half from a total number of schools. Only 4-5 schools established digital subjects such as, health computer, computer programming, PACS which are the basic major subjects. In order to provide academic improvement in radiologic science, digitalized education and globalization, and basis for future-oriented education for the field of radiologic science, including expanded scope of work, it is acknowledged that curriculums that are opened and run at each school need to be standardized. Therefore, the need for introduction of certificate for the radiologic science education courses are suggested.

• KIPS Transactions on Computer and Communication Systems
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.317-322
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• 2022

The rapid development of information technology is also bringing about many changes in the medical environment. In particular, it is leading the rapid change of medical image information systems using big data and artificial intelligence (AI). The prescription delivery system (OCS), which consists of an electronic medical record (EMR) and a medical image storage and transmission system (PACS), has rapidly changed the medical environment from analog to digital. When combined with multiple solutions, PACS represents a new direction for advancement in security, interoperability, efficiency and automation. Among them, the combination with artificial intelligence (AI) using big data that can improve the quality of images is actively progressing. In particular, AI PACS, a system that can assist in reading medical images using deep learning technology, was developed in cooperation with universities and industries and is being used in hospitals. As such, in line with the rapid changes in the medical image information system in the medical environment, structural changes in the medical market and changes in medical policies to cope with them are also necessary. On the other hand, medical image information is based on a digital medical image transmission device (DICOM) format method, and is divided into a tomographic volume image, a volume image, and a cross-sectional image, a two-dimensional image, according to a generation method. In addition, recently, many medical institutions are rushing to introduce the next-generation integrated medical information system by promoting smart hospital services. The next-generation integrated medical information system is built as a solution that integrates EMR, electronic consent, big data, AI, precision medicine, and interworking with external institutions. It aims to realize research. Korea's medical image information system is at a world-class level thanks to advanced IT technology and government policies. In particular, the PACS solution is the only field exporting medical information technology to the world. In this study, along with the analysis of the medical image information system using big data, the current trend was grasped based on the historical background of the introduction of the medical image information system in Korea, and the future development direction was predicted. In the future, based on DICOM big data accumulated over 20 years, we plan to conduct research that can increase the image read rate by using AI and deep learning algorithms.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2006

Purpose : To evaluate accuracy and reliability of program to measure facial soft tissue thickness using 3D computed tomographic images by comparing with direct measurement. Materials and Methods : One cadaver was scanned with a Helical CT with 3 mm slice thickness and 3 mm/sec table speed. The acquired data was reconstructed with 1.5 mm reconstruction interval and the images were transferred to a personal computer. The facial soft tissue thickness were measured using a program developed newly in 3D image. For direct measurement, the cadaver was cut with a bone cutter and then a ruler was placed above the cut side. The procedure was followed by taking pictures of the facial soft tissues with a high-resolution digital camera. Then the measurements were done in the photographic images and repeated for ten times. A repeated measure analysis of variance was adopted to compare and analyze the measurements resulting from the two different methods. Comparison according to the areas was analyzed by Mann-Whitney test. Results : There were no statistically significant differences between the direct measurements and those using the 3D images (p>0.05). There were statistical differences in the measurements on 17 points but all the points except 2 points showed a mean difference of 0.5 mm or less. Conclusion : The developed software program to measure the facial soft tissue thickness using 3D images was so accurate that it allows to measure facial soft tissues thickness more easily in forensic science and anthropology.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.184-189
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to compare the image between DSA and MDCT Angiography and to examine whether MDCT Angiography could be useful as a screening test for the diagnosis of cerebral aneurysm in patients who were diagnosed with cerebral aneurysm on DSA. Of patients who were diagnosed with cerebral aneurysm DSA at University Hospital, 194 patients who concomitantly underwent MDCT Angiography were enrolled in the current retrospective study. The methods for analyzing cerebral aneurysm were to analyze the presence of cerebral aneurysm on DSA and MDCT Angiography. In cases in which it exceeded 1, the corresponding cases were classified as narrow-neck aneurysms. In otherwise cases, they were classified as wide-neck aneurysms. Thus, a comparative analysis could be performed to ascertain if cases were narrow-neck or wide-neck aneurysms. As compared with DSA, the sensitivity of MDCT Angiography for cerebral aneurysm was measured to be 97.4%. The degree of consistency between narrow-neck and wide-neck aneurysms was 90.2% and the proportion of undetectable an at MDCT Angiography was 2.54%. mean size was 2.4 mm. It is expected that a non-invasive diagnostic modality for a screening test for cerebral aneurysm, MDCT Angiography might be a very useful regimen as compared with an invasive one, DSA.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2020

Purpose: Little is known regarding the accuracy of clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols with acceptable scan times in sinus graft assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between MRI and cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) measurements of maxillary sinus grafts using 2 different clinical MRI imaging protocols. Materials and Methods: A total of 15 patients who underwent unilateral sinus lift surgery with biphasic calcium phosphate were included in this study. CBCT, T1-weighted MRI, and T2-weighted MRI scans were taken 6 months after sinus lift surgery. Linear measurements of the maximum height and buccolingual width in coronal images, as well as the maximum anteroposterior depth in sagittal images, were performed by 2 trained observers using CBCT and MRI Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine files. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) was also performed to confirm the presence of bone tissue in the grafted area. Correlations between MRI and CBCT measurements were assessed with the Pearson test. Results: Significant correlations between CBCT and MRI were found for sinus graft height (T1-weighted, r=0.711 and P<0.05; T2-weighted, r=0.713 and P<0.05), buccolingual width (T1-weighted, r=0.892 and P<0.05; T2-weighted, r=0.956 and P<0.05), and anteroposterior depth (T1-weighted, r=0.731 and P<0.05; T2-weighted, r=0.873 and P<0.05). The presence of bone tissue in the grafted areas was confirmed via micro-CT. Conclusion: Both MRI pulse sequences tested can be used for sinus graft measurements, as strong correlations with CBCT were found. However, correlations between T2-weighted MRI and CBCT were slightly higher than those between T1-weighted MRI and CBCT.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.171-178
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• 2017

'Smart Sensibility Mat (SSM)' was developed and manufactured for positive sensibility of newborn with fiber, digital, and sensibility technology to reflect features and advantages of kangaroo care. For tactile stimuli, the tube of the silicon material to provide a constant temperature of $32^{\circ}C$ was inserted into the mat and connected to the water-thermostat. To provide a uniform temperature throughout the mat, the fabric by the inserting conductive yarn was attached to the mat surface. After wrapping the mat with cotton pad, the polyurethane foam used as medicine in order to similar to the human skin was bonded to the surface of the mat. To provide the auditory stimuli of a level of 30dB with mother's heartbeat sounds and voice recorded in advance, the Bluetooth speaker was inserted into the mat. To investigate the effects of SSM, 10 newborns who born within two weeks were involved in this experiment. While the baby was lying on each of the general mat (GM) and SSM, the baby's physiological signals-heart rate, breathing rate, temperature- were measured and then, those were conducted t-test to examine the difference between the signals of SSM and GM. The results were as follows: heart rate (t=8.131, p<.001) and respiratory rate (t=7.227, p<.001) among the physiological signals of SSM decreased significantly than GM within the normal range. Temperature (t=1.062, p=0.292) at SSM showed a tendency to decrease than GM within the normal range. This means the tactile stimuli and the auditory stimuli providing from SSM give stable physiological responses. Thus, SSM leads to have psychological comfort and stability of newborns.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.295-299
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• 2019

Purpose: This clinical pilot study was performed to determine the effectiveness of dual-energy cone-beam computed tomography (DE-CBCT) in measuring bone mineral density (BMD). Materials and Methods: The BMD values obtained using DE-CBCT were compared to those obtained using calibrated multislice computed tomography (MSCT). After BMD calibration with specially designed phantoms, both DE-CBCT and MSCT scanning were performed in 15 adult dental patients. Three-dimensional (3D) Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine data were imported into a dental software program, and the defined regions of interest (ROIs) on the 3-dimensional surface-rendered images were identified. The automatically-measured BMD values of the ROIs (g/㎤), the differences in the measured BMD values of the matched ROIs obtained by DE-CBCT and MSCT 3D images, and the correlation between the BMD values obtained by the 2 devices were statistically analyzed. Results: The mean BMD values of the ROIs for the 15 patients as assessed using DE-CBCT and MSCT were 1.09±0.07 g/㎤ and 1.13±0.08 g/㎤, respectively. The mean of the differences between the BMD values of the matched ROIs as assessed using DE-CBCT and calibrated MSCT images was 0.04±0.02 g/㎤. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the BMD values of DE-CBCT and MSCT images was 0.982 (r=0.982, P<0.001). Conclusion: The newly developed DE-CBCT technique could be used to measure jaw BMD in dentistry and may soon replace MSCT, which is expensive and requires special facilities.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.151-155
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate screw removal torque of the two-piece zirconia abutment with the novel titanium component compared to the conventional one-piece titanium abutment in the internal connection implant before and after dynamic cyclic loading. Materials and methods: Two types of the abutment assemblies with internal connection were prepared and divided into the groups; titanium abutment-titanium abutment screw assemblies as control, and zirconia abutment-titanium socket-titanium abutment screw assemblies as experimental group. A total of 12 abutments and implants were used of six assemblies each group. Each assembly was tightened to 30 Ncm. A cyclic load of 300 N at an angle of 30 degrees in reference to the loading axis was applied until one million cycles or failure. The removal torque values (RTVs) of the abutment screws were measured with a digital torque gauge before and after cyclic loading. The RTVs of the pre load and post load were analyzed with t-test, and P-values < .05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The assemblies of both groups survived all after the dynamic cyclic loading test without screw loosening. The statistically significant differences were found between the mean RTVs before and after the cyclic loading in both groups (P < .05). The RTV differences for the control and the experimental group were $-7.25{\pm}1.50Ncm$ and $-7.33{\pm}0.93Ncm$, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the RTV differences in both groups were not significantly different from each other (P > .05). Conclusion: Within the limitation of this study, the two-piece zirconia abutment with the titanium component did not show a significant RTV difference of the abutment screw compared to the titanium abutment after dynamic cyclic loading.