• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.74-82
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• 2008

The objective of this paper is to remove noises of image based on the heuristic noises filter and to extract a tumor region by using morphology techniques in breast ultrasound image. Similar objective studies have been conducted based on ultrasound image of high resolution. As a result, efficiency of noise removal is not fine enough for low resolution image. Moreover, when ultrasound image has multiple tumors, the extraction of ROI (Region Of Interest) is not accomplished or processed by a manual selection. In this paper, our method is done 4 kinds of process for noises removal and the extraction of ROI for solving problems of restrictive automated segmentation. First process is that pixel value is acquired as matrix type. Second process is a image preprocessing phase that is aimed to maximize a contrast of image and prevent a leak of personal information. In next process, the heuristic noise filter that is based on opinion of medical specialist is applied to remove noises. The last process is to extract a tumor region by using morphology techniques. As a result, the noise is effectively eliminated in all images and a extraction of tumor regions is possible though one ultrasound image has several tumors.

• Korean Journal of Digital Imaging in Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.9-14
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study has attempted to evaluate and compare the image evaluation and exposure dose by respectively applying Filtered Back Projection(FBP), the existing test method, and Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction(ASIR) with different values of tube voltage during the Low Dose Computed Tomography(LDCT). Materials and Methods: With the image reconstruction method as basis, Chest Phantom was utilized with the FBP and ASIR set at 10%, 20% respectively, and the change of Tube Voltage (100kVp, 120kVp). For image evaluation, Back ground noise, Signal to Noise ratio(SNR) and Contrast to Noise ratio(CNR) were measured, and, for dose evaluation, CTDIvol and DLP were measured respectively. The statistical analysis was tested with SPSS(ver. 22.0), followed by ANOVA Test conducted after normality test and homogeneity test. (p<0.05). Results: In terms of image evaluation, there was no outstanding difference in Ascending Aorta(AA) SNR and Infraspinatus Muscle(IM) SNR with the different values of ASIR application(p<0.05), but a significant difference with the different amount of tube voltage(p>0.05). Also, there wasn't noticeable change in CNR with ASIR and different amount of Tube Voltage (p<0.05). However, in terms of dose evaluation, CTDIvol and DLP showed contrasting results(p<0.05). In terms of CTDIvol, the measured values with the same tube voltage of 120kVp were 2.6mGy with No-ASIR and 2.17mGy with 20%-ASIR respectively, decreased by 0.43mGy, and the values with 100kVp were 1.61mGy with No-ASIR and 1.34mGy with 20%-ASIR, decreased by 0.27mGy. In terms of DLP, the measured values with 120kVp were $103.21mGy{\cdot}cm$ with No-ASIR and $85.94mGy{\cdot}cm$ with 20%-ASIR, decreased by $17.27mGy{\cdot}cm$(about 16.7%), and the values with 100kVp were $63.84mGy{\cdot}cm$ with No-ASIR and $53.25mGy{\cdot}cm$ with 20%-ASIR, a decrease by $10.62mGy{\cdot}cm$(about 16.7%). Conclusion: At lower tube voltage, the rate of dose significantly decreased, but the negative effects on image evaluation was shown due to the increase of noise. For the future, through the result of the experiment, it is considered that the method above would be recommended for follow-up patients or those who get health checkup as long as there is no interference on the process of diagnosis due to the characteristics of Low Dose examination.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.233-238
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• 2003

Ferromagnetic tunnel junctions, Ta/Cu/Ta/NiFe/Cu/$Mn_{75}$ $Ir_{25}$ $Co_{70}$ $Fe_{30}$/Al-oxide, were fabricated by do magnetron sputtering and plasma oxidation process. The effect of annealing temperature on the local transport properties of the ferromagnetic tunnel junctions was studied using contact-mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The current images reflected the distribution of the barrier height determined by local I-V analysis. The contrast of the current image became more homogeneous and smooth after annealing at $280^{\circ}C$. And the average barrier height $\phi_{ave}$ increased and its standard deviation $\sigma_{\phi}$ X decreased. For the cases of the annealing temperature more than $300^{\circ}C$, the contrast of the current image became large again. And the average barrier height $\phi_{ave}$ decreased and its standard deviation $\sigma_{\phi}$ increased. Also, the current histogram had a long tail in the high current region and became asymmetric. This result means the generation of the leakage current that is resulted from the local generation of a low barrier height region. In order to obtain the high tunnel magnetoresistance(TMR) ratio, the increase of the average barrier height and the decrease of the barrier height fluctuation must be strictly controlled.led.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.589-596
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• 2019

X-rays used for diagnosis have a continuous energy distribution. However, photons with low energy not only reduce image contrast, but also contribute to the patient's radiation exposure. Therefore, clinics currently use filters made of aluminum. Such filters are advantageous because they can reduce the exposure of the patient to radiation. However, they may have negative effects on imaging quality, as they lead to increases in the scattered dose. In this study, we investigated the effects of the scattered dose generated by an aluminum filter on medical image quality. We used the relative standard deviation and the scatter degradation factor as evaluation indices, as they can be used to quantitatively express the decrease in the degree of contrast in imaging. We verified that the scattered dose generated by the increase in the thickness of the aluminum filter causes degradation of the quality of medical images.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.208-217
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• 2001

Model-based color image halftoning method using dot-pattern database is proposed for low-resolution color image printing. Dot-pattern database used in the proposed method is based on Blue-Noise Mask. The database consists of dot-patterns constructed by circular dot-overlap model according to each color value. In halftoning procedure, input color value is reproduced as the dot-pattern selected to minimize the difference between the color values of the original image and those of the printed image. Also, the contrast sensitivity function as a human visual model is used to improve the perceived quality of the printed image in dot-pattern selection. Thus, the proposed method can substantially reproduce the color values of the pixels in original image and obtain better image quality. In the experiment, the proposed method has less ΔΕ/Sub ab/ between the original image in monitor and the printed one than that of ED and BNM halftoning. This result approves that the proposed method reproduces better image quality.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.14-32
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• 2022

Underwater photographing and image recording are essential for pre-excavation survey and during excavation in underwater archaeology. Unlike photographing on land, all underwater images suffer various quality degradations such as shape distortions, color shift, blur, low contrast, high noise levels and so on. Outcome is very often heavily photographing equipment and photographer dependent. Excavation schedule, weather conditions, and water conditions can put burdens on divers. Usable images are very limited compared to the efforts. In underwater archaeological study in very turbid water such as in the Yellow Sea (between mainland China and the Korean peninsula), underwater photographing is very challenging. In this study, off-site image distortion and color compensation techniques using an image processing/analysis software is investigated as an alternative image quality enhancement method. As sample images, photographs taken during the excavation of 800-year-old Taean Mado Shipwrecks in the Yellow Sea in 2008-2010 were mainly used. Significant enhancement in distortion and color compensation of archived images were obtained by simple post image processing using image processing/analysis software (PicMan) customized for given view ports, lenses and cameras with and without optical axis offsets. Post image processing is found to be very effective in distortion and color compensation of both recent and archived images from various photographing equipment models and configurations. Merits and demerit of in-situ, distortion and color compensated photographing with sophisticated equipment and conventional photographing equipment, which requires post image processing, are compared.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.257-262
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• 2006

Purpose: The standard protocol using large volume of oral contrast media may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and contrast-related artifacts in PET/CT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of low dose oral contrast in $^{18}F-FDG$ PET/CT. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the whole-body PET/CT images in a total of 435 patients. About 200 ml of oval contrast agent (barium sulfate) was administered immediately before injection of $^{18}F-FDG$. The FDG uptake of intestines was analyzed by visual and semi- quantitative method on transaxial, coronal and saggital planes. Results: Seventy (16%, 113 sites) of 435 images showed high FDG uptake (peak SUV > 4); 50 (74%, 84 sites) with diffuse and 20 (15%, 29 sites) with focal uptake. The most commonly delivered site of oral contrast media was small bowel (n=27, 39%). On PET/CT images, FDG uptake coexisted with oral contrast media in 26 patients (54%, 38 sites) with diffuse pattern and 9 (45%, 9 sites) with focal pattern, and by sites, those were 38 (45%) and 9 (31%), respectively. In small bowel regions, the proportion of coexistence reached as high as 61% (29/47 sites). A visual analysis of available non-attenuation corrected PET images of 27 matched regions revealed no contrast-related artifact. Conclusion: We concluded that the application of low dose contrast media could be helpful in the evaluation of abdominal uptake in the FDG PET/CT image.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.415-419
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• 2008

Detecting and correcting defects on LCD glasses early in the manufacturing process becomes important for panel makers to reduce the manufacturing costs and to improve productivity. Many attempts have been made and were successfully applied to detect and identify simple defects such as scratches, dents, and foreign objects on glasses. However, it is still difficult to robustly detect low-contrast defect region, called Mura or blemish area on glasses. Typically, these defect areas are roughly defined as relatively large, several millimeters of diameter, and relatively dark and/or bright region of low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) against background of low-frequency signal. The aim of this article is to present a robust algorithm to segment these blemish defects. Early 90's, a highly robust estimator, known as the Model-Fitting (MF) estimator was developed by X. Zhuang et. al. and have been successfully used in many computer vision application. Compared to the conventional Least-Square (LS) estimator the MF estimator can successfully estimate model parameters from a dataset of contaminated Gaussian mixture. Such a noise model is defined as a regular white Gaussian noise model with probability $1-\varepsilon$ plus an outlier process with probability $varepsilon$. In the sense of robust estimation, the blemish defect in images can be considered as being a group of outliers in the process of estimating image background model parameters. The algorithm developed in this paper uses a modified MF estimator to robustly estimate the background model and as a by-product to segment the blemish defects, the outliers.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.12
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• pp.247-253
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• 2013

The purpose is a comparative evaluation in the DR System according to the dosimetry and image quality of the quantitative and objective via Direct digital radiography, Indirect digital radiography, Image intensifier (Charge Coupled Device type) digital radiography. The experimental method used rando phantom and measured the entrance surface dose. And through using the measured entrance surface dose and then using the PCXMC program were evaluated risk due to irradiation and the effective dose. SNR and NPS and CNR were measured and analyzed by using 21cm acryl phantom. Significance of measured value was evaluated by statistics method. Entrance surface dose, major organ dose, effective dose all of them were measured the lowest rated in direct DR when it is on the basis of direct DR dose, high-dose ratio were measured in I.I DR approximately 1.3 times, indirect DR approximately 2.4 times. Risk in accordance with radiation also was measured same as dose ratio. On the conclusion that SNR measurement result based on direct DR SNR measurements, low-SNR ratio were measured in I.I DR approximately 7.25 times, indirect DR approximately 1.48 times. On the conclusion that CNR measurement result based on direct DR CNR measurements, high-dose ratio were measured in I.I type DR approximately 1.16 tims and low-dose ratio were measured in indirect DR approximately 0.87 times. Therefore Direct DR system using a-selenium sensing element to detect x-ray photon is thought effectively at the examination such as infant to sensitive irradiation and the genital gland. Because quality image is built by low dose. Also when it is necessary that image test requiring many diagnosis information, indirect DR system is thought effectively.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 2006

Purpose : To evaluate MR image qualities we developed a new MRI phantom with the fixation structures necessary to position it into coil firmly. Materials and methods : We designed MRI phantom for eight evaluation items such as slice thickness accuracy, high contrast spatial resolution, low contrast object detectability, geometry accuracy, slice position accuracy, image intensity uniformity, percent signal ghosting and signal to noise ratio. For the positioning of phantom at coils, the fixation structures were set up on the surface of phantom. Six different MRI units were used for test the possibility for the clinical application and their image qualities were evaluated. Results : We acquired appropriate MR image qualities enough for the evaluation on all used MR units and confirmed that their evaluations were within reliable values compared to real ones for some items. The positioning of our phantom into head coils with fixation structures worked well for proper imaging. Conclusion : We found that our prototype of MRI phantom had the possibility of clinical application for MR image quality assessment.