• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 2000

Purpose: Projection-type Fast Spin Echo (PFSE) imaging is robust to patient motion or flow related artifact compared to conventional Fast Spin Echo (FSE) imaging, however, it has difficulty in controlling $T_2$ contrast. In this paper, Tz contrast in the PFSE method is analyzed and compared with those of the FSE method with various effective echo times by computer simulation. The contrasts in the FSE and PFSE methods are also compared by experiments with volunteers. From the analysis and simulation, it is shown that ${T_2}-weighted$ images can well be obtained by the PFSE method proposed. Materials and methods: Pulse sequence for the PFSE method is implemented at a 1.0 Tesla whole body MRI system and $T_2$ contrasts in the PFSE and FSE methods are analyzed by computer simulation and experiment with volunteers. For the simulation, a mathematical phantom composed of various $T_2$ values is devised and $T_2$ contrast in the reconstructed image by the PFSE is compared to those by the FSE method with various effective echo times. Multi-slice ${T_2}-weighted$ head images of the volunteers obtained by the PFSE method are also shown in comparison with those by the FSE method at a 1.0 Tesla whole body MRI system. Results: From the analysis, $T_2$ contrast by the PFSE method appears similar to those by the FSE method with the effective echo time in a range of SO-lOOms. Using a mathematical phantom, contrast in the PFSE image appears close to that by the FSE method with the effective echo time of 96ms. From experiment with volunteers, multi-slice $T_2-weighted$ images are obtained by the PFSE method having contrast similar to that of the FSE method with the effective echo time of 96ms. Reconstructed images by the PFSE method show less motion related artifact compared to those by the FSE method. Conclusion: The projection-type FSE imaging acquires multiple radial lines with different angles in polar coordinate in k space using multiple spin echoes. The PFSE method is robust to patient motion or flow, however, it has difficulty in controlling $T_2$ contrast compared to the FSE method. In this paper, it is shown that the PFSE method provides good $T_2$ contrast (${T_2}-weighted$ images) similar to the FSE method by both computer simulation and experiments with volunteers.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2002

Background & Purpose : Dynamic susceptibility contrast MR imaging, one method of perfusion MRI, was developed to define cerebral hemodynamic status with good anatomical resolution. The authors investigated hemodynamic parameters using this imaging method, in an effort to identify hemodynamic changes on the remote crossed cerebellum of patients with a supratentorial infarct. Methods : Dynamic susceptibility contrast MR imaging was performed in 15 patients with only unilateral supratentorial infarcts. Imaging was obtained at the anatomic level of the cerebellum. rCBF, rCBV, MTT and TP were determined over both cerebellar hemispheres of interest. Results : The rCBF and rCBV values of the contralateral cerebellar hemisphere were significantly more decreased than those of the ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere in 12 patients(p=0.028, 0.033). MTT and TP values of the contralateral and ipsilateral cerebellar hemispheres didn't reveal any differences(p=0.130, 0.121). Conclusions : The results of this work suggest that the region which are remote from the ischemic brain lesion shows no changes of MTT or TP but show decrease of rCBF and rCBV, mean to diaschisis, it also demonstrates that perfusion MRI is an easily available method to evaluate the hemodynamic status of the brain.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

According that most integral imaging techniques have used rectangular lens array, this integrated distribution of light is recorded in the form of a rectangular grid. However, hexagonal lens array gives a more accurate approximation of ideal circular lens and provides higher pickup/display density than rectangular lens array[4]. Using the parallel processing technique in order to generate the elemental imaging for hexagonal lens array, each pixel that compose the elemental imaging should be determined to belong to the hexagonal lens. This process is output to the screen for every pixel in progress, and many computations are required. In this paper, we have proposed parallel processing method using an OpenCL to generate the elemental imaging for hexagonal lens array in 3D volume date. In the experimental result of proposed method show speed of 20~60 fps for hexagonal lens array of $20{\times}20$ sizes and input data of Male[$128{\times}256{\times}256$] volume data.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.684-694
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• 2021

Resting-state Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging(fMRI) data detects the temporal correlations in Blood Oxygen Level Dependent(BOLD) signal and these temporal correlations are regarded to reflect intrinsic cortical connectivity, which is deactivated during attention demanding, non-self referential tasks, called Default Mode Network(DMN). The relationship between fMRI and anatomical connectivity has not been studied in detail, however, the preceded studies have tried to clarify this relationship using Diffusion Tensor Imaging(DTI) and fMRI. These studies use method that fMRI data assists DTI data or vice versa and it is used as guider to perform DTI tractography on the brain image. In this study, we hypothesized that functional connectivity in resting state would reflect anatomical connectivity of DMN and the combined images include information of fMRI and DTI showed visible connection between brain regions related in DMN. In the previous study, functional connectivity was determined by subjective region of interest method. However, in this study, functional connectivity was determined by objective and advanced method through Independent Component Analysis. There was a stronger connection between Posterior Congulate Cortex(PCC) and PHG(Parahippocampa Gyrus) than Anterior Cingulate Cortex(ACC) and PCC. This technique might be used in several clinical field and will be the basis for future studies related to aging and the brain diseases, which are needed to be translated not only functional connectivity, but structural connectivity.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.284-293
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• 2023

Objective: To validate a simplified ordinal scoring method, referred to as modified length-based grading, for assessing coronary artery calcium (CAC) severity on non-electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated chest computed tomography (CT). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 120 patients (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 63.1 ± 14.5 years; male, 64) who underwent both non-ECG-gated chest CT and ECG-gated cardiac CT between January 2011 and December 2021. Six radiologists independently assessed CAC severity on chest CT using two scoring methods (visual assessment and modified length-based grading) and categorized the results as none, mild, moderate, or severe. The CAC category on cardiac CT assessed using the Agatston score was used as the reference standard. Agreement among the six observers for CAC category classification was assessed using Fleiss kappa statistics. Agreement between CAC categories on chest CT obtained using either method and the Agatston score categories on cardiac CT was assessed using Cohen's kappa. The time taken to evaluate CAC grading was compared between the observers and two grading methods. Results: For differentiation of the four CAC categories, interobserver agreement was moderate for visual assessment (Fleiss kappa, 0.553 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 0.496-0.610]) and good for modified length-based grading (Fleiss kappa, 0.695 [95% CI: 0.636-0.754]). The modified length-based grading demonstrated better agreement with the reference standard categorization with cardiac CT than visual assessment (Cohen's kappa, 0.565 [95% CI: 0.511-0.619 for visual assessment vs. 0.695 [95% CI: 0.638-0.752] for modified length-based grading). The overall time for evaluating CAC grading was slightly shorter in visual assessment (mean ± SD, 41.8 ± 38.9 s) than in modified length-based grading (43.5 ± 33.2 s) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The modified length-based grading worked well for evaluating CAC on non-ECG-gated chest CT with better interobserver agreement and agreement with cardiac CT than visual assessment.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.761-771
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• 2023

Objective: To investigate the association among the electrode placement method, electrode type, and local tumor progression (LTP) following percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and to assess the risk factors for LTP. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 211 patients, including 150 males and 61 females, who had undergone ultrasound-guided RFA for a single HCC < 3 cm. Patients were divided into four combination groups of the electrode type and placement method: 1) tumor-puncturing with an internally cooled tip (ICT), 2) tumor-puncturing with an internally cooled wet tip (ICWT), 3) no-touch with ICT, and 4) no-touch with ICWT. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses were performed to evaluate the risk factors for LTP. The major RFA-related complications were assessed. Results: Overall, 83, 34, 80, and 14 patients were included in the ICT, ICWT, no-touch with ICT, and no-touch with ICWT groups, respectively. The cumulative LTP rates differed significantly among the four groups. Compared to tumor puncturing with ICT, tumor puncturing with ICWT was associated with a lower LTP risk (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0-0.88, P = 0.034). However, the cumulative LTP rate did not differ significantly between tumor-puncturing with ICT and no-touch RFA with ICT (aHR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.03-1.62, P = 0.188) or ICWT (aHR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0-2.28, P = 0.294). An insufficient ablative margin was a risk factor for LTP (aHR = 6.13, 95% CI = 1.41-22.49, P = 0.019). The major complication rates were 1.2%, 0%, 2.5%, and 21.4% in the ICT, ICWT, no-touch with ICT, and no-touch with ICWT groups, respectively. Conclusion: ICWT was associated with a lower LTP rate compared to ICT when performing tumor-puncturing RFA. An insufficient ablation margin was a risk factor for LTP.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.303-320
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• 2011

Comparing to active damage monitoring, impact localization on composite by using time reversal focusing method has several difficulties. First, the transfer function of the actuator-sensor path is difficult to be obtained because of the limitation that no impact experiment is permitted to perform on the real structure and the difficulty to model it because the performance of real aircraft composite is much more complicated comparing to metal structure. Second, the position of impact is unknown and can not be controlled as the excitation signal used in the active monitoring. This makes it not applicable to compare the difference between the excitation and the focused signal. Another difficulty is that impact signal is frequency broadband, giving rise to the difficulty to process virtual synthesis because of the highly dispersion nature of frequency broadband Lamb wave in plate-like structure. Aiming at developing a practical method for on-line localization of impact on aircraft composite structure which can take advantage of time reversal focusing and does not rely on the transfer function, a PZT sensor array based phase synthesis time reversal impact imaging method is proposed. The complex Shannon wavelet transform is presented to extract the frequency narrow-band signals from the impact responded signals of PZT sensors. A phase synthesis process of the frequency narrow-band signals is implemented to search the time reversal focusing position on the structure which represents the impact position. Evaluation experiments on a carbon fiber composite structure show that the proposed method realizes the impact imaging and localization with an error less than 1.5 cm. Discussion of the influence of velocity errors and measurement noise is also given in detail.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.2664-2669
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• 2011

We proposed a new method to improve the resolution of far object image in curving effective integral imaging system. Basically, the curving effective integral imaging(CEII) system can improve the resolution of the reconstructed images with an increased sampling rate of elemental images. However, in the case when an object located far from the lenslet array is picked up, the low resolution of the reconstructed images of the far object has been a primary problem because the sampling rate is very low. In order to solve this drawback, by using the direct pixel mapping(DPM) method the EIA picked up from a far object is transformed into a new EIA that virtually looks like the EIA picked up from the object originally located close to the lenslet array. From this new EIA, highly resolution-enhanced images of far object could be reconstructed in the CEII system. To show the feasibility of the proposed method, simulation results are compared with the conventional method.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2009

The trend of Digital x-ray Detector research is to improve resolution of image and to embody large area imaging as well as dynamic moving imaging, etc. This research is divided with indirect conversion method and direct conversion method by radiation conversion process. Each conversion method has problems such as decrease of resolution from light scattering in indirect method case and not only low system stability but also difficult in dynamic moving imaging in direct method case. X-ray detector using liquid crystal has been researching to solve these problems, but it is difficulty in uniform injection of liquid crystal because of its structural properties. Therefore, this study suggests the structure which solves present problem. Also the possibility of suggested structure was investigated using simulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.320-326
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• 2011

This paper proposes a baseline-free SHM technique in which the time-reversal process of Lamb waves and the imaging method are used. The proposed SHM technique has three distinct features when compared with the authors' previously proposed one: (1) It use the reconstructed signal for damage diagnosis, without need to extract the damage signal as the difference between reconstructed signal and initial input signal; (2) It use the imaging method based on the time-offlight information from the reconstructed signal, instead of using a pattern comparison method; (3) In order to make the damage image more clear, the modified mathematical definition of damage image in a pixel is used. The proposed SHM technique is evaluated through the damage detection experiment for an aluminum plate with damage at different locations.