• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Broadcast Engineers Conference
• /
• 2018.06a
• /
• pp.59-62
• /
• 2018

In this paper, we propose a contrast enhancement algorithm using guided image filter (GIF). The GIF is used to divide an HDR image into a base layer and a detail layer. The energy scale of base layer determinate the darkness and brightness of the image. However, the detail information in the base layer is difficult to be displayed because of the high brightness and clusters of low brightness. We propose a contrast enhancement method by adjusting the gray level of base layer by subtracting the mean value of itself. It is combined with the detail layer to preserve the detail information. Experiment results show that the proposed algorithm has better performance in detail preservation and contrast enhancement.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
• /
• v.1998 no.11
• /
• pp.271-272
• /
• 1998

Contrast-enhanced CT has an important role in the assessment of liver lesions. However, the optimal protocol to get most effective result is not clear. The main principle for deciding injection protocol is to optimize lesion detectability by rapid scanning when lesion-to-liver contrast is maximum. For this purpose, we developed a physiological model of contrast medium enhancement based on the compartment modeling and pharmacokinetics. Blood supply to liver was modeled in two paths. This dual supply character distinguishes the CT enhancement of liver from that of the other organs. The first path is by hepatic artery and the second is by portal vein. It is assumed that only hepatic artery can supply blood to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compartment. It is known that this causes the difference of contrast enhancement between normal liver tissue and hepatic tumor. By solving differential equations for each compartment simultaneously using computer program Matlab, CT contrast-enhancement curves were simulated. Simulated enhancement curves for aortic, hepatic, portal vein, and HCC compartments were compared with mean enhancement curves from 24 patients exposed to the same protocols as simulation. These enhancement curves were in a good agreement. Furthermore, we simulated lesion-to-liver curves for various injection protocols, and analyzed the effects. These may help to optimize the scanning protocols for good diagnosis.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.28-33
• /
• 2020

The aims of this study were to obtain the normal ranges of enhancement parameters for salivary gland in dynamic CT and to investigate the effects of fasting time on contrast enhancement in clinically normal beagle dogs. With five healthy beagle dogs, dynamic CT examination was performed according to fasting times (as fasting times, 12hours, 0 min, 20 min, 40 min, 1 hours, 6 hours, 24 hours). In normal beagles with 12hours fasting, enhancement parameters through the preliminary study were as follows: ImaxA - 472 .49 ± 19.01 HU; ImaxS - 138.95 ± 6.2 5 HU; TmaxA - 25.8 ± 1.79 sec; TmaxS - 69.0 ± 23.11 sec; Teq - 80.5 ± 6.61 sec; T-Aeq - 54.5 ± 5.51 sec (Imax - peak enhancement; Tmax - time to peak enhancement; Teq - time to equilibrium phase; T-Aeq - time between peak enhancement in the common carotid artery and onset of the equilibrium phase; A - common carotid; S - submandibular gland; HU - Hounsfield unit). Additionally, ImaxA and ImaxS were significantly increased in 40 min after eating. Because these results associated with postprandial hemodynamic changes can make the diagnosis of salivary gland diseases more difficult, sufficient fasting time is important for accurate diagnosis.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics B
• /
• v.31B no.8
• /
• pp.160-171
• /
• 1994

The wide dynamic range and severely attenuated contrast in mediastinal area appearing in typical chest radiographs have often caused difficulties in effective visualization and diagnosis of lung diseases. This paper proposes a new adaptive image enhancement technique which potentially solves this problem and there by improves observer performance through image processing. In the proposed method image processing is applied to the chest radiograph with different processing parameters for the lung field and mediastinum adaptively since there are much differences in anatomical and imaging properties between these two regions. To achieve this the chest radiograph is divided into the lung and mediastinum by gray level thresholding using the cumulative histogram and the dynamic range compression and local contrast enhancement are carried out selectively in the mediastinal region. Thereafter a gray scale transformation is performed considering the JND(just noticeable difference) characteristic for effective image displa. The processed images showed apparenty improved contrast in mediastinum and maintained moderate brightness in the lung field. No artifact could be observed. In the visibility evaluation experiment with 5 radiologists the processed images with better visibility was observed for the 5 important anatomical structures in the thorax.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.29-41
• /
• 2013

The digital camera is impossible to preserve the appearance of a scene containing high dynamic range due to a limitations of the sensing hardware. The Retinex was proposed on the purpose to solve these problems. While the Retinex enhances visibility and color constancy, it sometimes suffers from color distortion, halo effect and reduced global contrast. This paper presents an advanced Retinex algorithm working on the YCbCr color coordinate to reduce the processing time and to improve the global contrast and color. Simulation results show that our algorithm significantly reduces the total processing time, and provide the superior result image by improving the global contrast and color consistency as well as by reducing the halo effect around the boundaries.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.330-334
• /
• 2017

The aim of this study was to establish an injection protocol of a test bolus and a main bolus of contrast material for computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for visualizing optimal pulmonary arteries in normal beagle dogs. CTPA using a test bolus method from either protocol A or B were performed in each of four normal beagle dogs. In protocol A, CTPA was conducted with a scan duration for around 8 s, setting the contrast enhancement peak of the pulmonary trunk in the middle of the scan duration. The arrival time to the contrast enhancement peak was predicted from a previous dynamic scan using a test bolus (150 mg iodine/kg) injected with the same injection duration using for a main bolus (450 mg iodine/kg). In protocol B, CTPA was started at the predicted appearance time of contrast material in the pulmonary trunk based on a previous dynamic scan using a test bolus injected with the same injection rate as a main bolus. CTPA using protocol A showed the optimal opacification of the pulmonary artery with pulmonary venous contamination. Proper CTPA images in the absence of venous contamination were obtained in protocol B. CTPA with a scan duration for 8 s should be started at the appearance time of contrast enhancement in the pulmonary trunk, which can be identified exactly when a test bolus is injected at the same injection rate used for the main bolus.

• Journal of KIISE
• /
• v.42 no.7
• /
• pp.910-918
• /
• 2015

This paper presents a parameter visualization technique to overcome the limitation of the naked eye in contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. A method is also proposed to compensate for the distortion and noise in ultrasound image sequences. Meaningful parameters for diagnosing liver disease can be extracted from the dynamic patterns of the contrast enhancement in ultrasound images. The visualization technique can provide more accurate information by generating a parametric image from the dynamic data. Respiratory motions and noise from micro-bubble in ultrasound data may cause a degradation of the reliability of the diagnostic parameters. A multi-stage algorithm for respiratory motion tracking and an image enhancement technique based on the Markov Random Field are proposed. The usefulness of the proposed methods is empirically discussed through experiments by using a set of clinical data.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
• /
• v.7 no.8
• /
• pp.1046-1057
• /
• 2004

An image enhancement method using both homomorphic transformation and multiscale decomposition is proposed. The original image is first transformed to homomorphic domain by taking the logarithm, is then separated to multiscales. These multiscales are combined with weighting. The combined signal is exponentially transformed back into intensity domain. In homomorphic domain, the magnitude control of low frequency component make change the dynamic range, and the magnitude control of the other frequency components contribute to enhancement of the contrast. The "${\AA}$ trous" algorithm, which has a simple and efficient scheme, is used for multiscale decomposition. The performance of proposed method is verified by simulation.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.135-142
• /
• 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the contrast effect if a saline flush following low-volume contrast medium bolus improves vascular and parenchymal enhancement using a saphenous vein in abdominal CT for small animals. Six clinically healthy beagle dogs underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced CT. They were divided into nine groups (each group, n = 6), according to the volume of contrast medium 1, 2, and 3 mL/kg, and volume of the saline solution 0, 5, and 10 mL. Dynamic CT scanning was performed at the hepatic hilum level. The maximum contrast enhancement, time to maximum enhancement, and time to equilibrium phase were calculated from the time attenuation curves. Mean attenuation values for all groups were measured in the aorta, portal vein, and liver. After contrast enhancement, grading of image quality regarding surrounding artifacts and evaluation of the hepatic hilum structures was performed. For comparison of the effect of the contrast material and saline solution doses, differences in mean attenuation values between the contrast medium 2 mL/kg without saline flush group and the remaining groups, and between contrast medium 3 mL/kg without saline flush group and the remaining groups, were analyzed for statistical significance. There were no significant differences between with and without saline flushing at the same contrast medium dose groups. There were no significant differences in peak values between the 3 mL/kg dose of contrast medium alone and the 2 mL/kg dose of contrast medium with saline solution flush. However, there was a significant difference in peak values between the 3 mL/kg dose of the contrast medium without the saline flush group and the 2 mL/kg dose of the contrast medium alone group. Grades of the artifacts were not significantly different in the saline flush regardless of the dose of the contrast medium. Using 2 mL/kg of contrast medium with saline solution flush resulted in similar liver parenchyma attenuation, compared with using 3 mL/kg of contrast medium without saline solution flush. In CT evaluation of hepatic parenchymal diseases, using 2 mL/kg of contrast medium with saline solution flush may yield decreased risk of contrast nephropathy and cost-saving.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.444-453
• /
• 2023

Objective: Meningeal lymphatic vessels are predominantly located in the parasagittal dural space (PSD); these vessels drain interstitial fluids out of the brain and contribute to the glymphatic system. We aimed to investigate the ability of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in assessing the dynamic changes in the meningeal lymphatic vessels in PSD. Materials and Methods: Eighteen participants (26-71 years; male:female, 10:8), without neurological or psychiatric diseases, were prospectively enrolled and underwent DCE-MRI. Three regions of interests (ROIs) were placed on the PSD, superior sagittal sinus (SSS), and cortical vein. Early and delayed enhancement patterns and six kinetic curve-derived parameters were obtained and compared between the three ROIs. Moreover, the participants were grouped into the young (< 65 years; n = 9) or older (≥ 65 years; n = 9) groups. Enhancement patterns and kinetic curve-derived parameters in the PSD were compared between the two groups. Results: The PSD showed different enhancement patterns than the SSS and cortical veins (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) in the early and delayed phases. The PSD showed slow early enhancement and a delayed wash-out pattern. The six kinetic curve-derived parameters of PSD was significantly different than that of the SSS and cortical vein. The PSD washout rate of older participants was significantly lower (median, 0.09; interquartile range [IQR], 0.01-0.15) than that of younger participants (median, 0.32; IQR, 0.07-0.45) (P = 0.040). Conclusion: This study shows that the dynamic changes of meningeal lymphatic vessels in PSD can be assessed with DCE-MRI, and the results are different from those of the venous structures. Our finding that delayed wash-out was more pronounced in the PSD of older participants suggests that aging may disturb the meningeal lymphatic drainage.