• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2012

The current defacing method for keeping an anonymity of brain images damages the integrity of a precise brain analysis due to over removal, although it maintains the patients' privacy. A novel method has been developed to create an anonymous face model while keeping the voxel values of an image exactly the same as that of the original one. The method contains two steps: construction of a mockup brain template from ten normalized brain images and a substitution of the mockup brain to the brain image. A level set segmentation algorithm is applied to segment a scalp-skull apart from the whole brain volume. The segmented mockup brain is coregistered and normalized to the subject brain image to create an anonymous face model. The validity of this modification is tested through comparing the intensity of voxels inside a brain area from the mockup brain with the original brain image. The result shows that the intensity of voxels inside from the mockup brain is same as ones from an original brain image, while its anonymity is guaranteed.

• Journal of Multimedia Information System
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.207-214
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• 2015

In this paper, we proposed new software for 3D rendering of MR images in the medical domain using C# wrapper of Visualization Toolkit (VTK) and Microsoft .NET framework. Our objective in developing this software was to provide medical image segmentation, 3D rendering and visualization of hippocampus for diagnosis of Alzheimer disease patients using DICOM Images. Such three dimensional visualization can play an important role in the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. Segmented images can be used to reconstruct the 3D volume of the hippocampus, and it can be used for the feature extraction, measure the surface area and volume of hippocampus to assist the diagnosis process. This software has been designed with interactive user interfaces and graphic kernels based on Microsoft.NET framework to get benefited from C# programming techniques, in particular to design pattern and rapid application development nature, a preliminary interactive window is functioning by invoking C#, and the kernel of VTK is simultaneously embedded in to the window, where the graphics resources are then allocated. Representation of visualization is through an interactive window so that the data could be rendered according to user's preference.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.189-193
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• 2020

An MR-based attenuation correction (MRAC) map plays an important role in quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) image evaluation in PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. However, the MRAC map is affected by the magnetic field inhomogeneity of MRIs. This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of MRAC maps of physical phantoms on PET/MRI images. Phantom measurements were performed using the Siemens Biograph mMR. The modular type physical phantoms that provide assembly versatility for phantom construction were scanned in a four-channel Body Matrix coil. The MRAC map was generated using the two-point Dixon-based segmentation method for whole-body imaging. The modular phantoms were scanned in compact and non-compact assembly configurations. In addition, the phantoms were scanned repeatedly to generate MRAC maps. The acquired MRAC maps show differently assigned values for void areas. An incorrect assignment of a void area was shown on a locally compact space between phantoms. The assigned MRAC values were distorted using a wide field-of-view (FOV). The MRAC values also differed after repeated scans. However, the erroneous MRAC values appeared outside of phantom, except for a large FOV. The MRAC map of the phantom was affected by phantom configuration and the number of scans. A quantitative study using a phantom in a PET/MRI system should be performed after evaluation of the MRAC map characteristics.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.169-176
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• 2012

Tumor cell morphology is closely related to its migratory behaviors. An active tumor cell has a highly irregular shape, whereas a spherical cell is inactive. Thus, quantitative analysis of cell features is crucial to determine tumor malignancy or to test the efficacy of anticancer treatment. We use 3D time-lapse phase-contrast microscopy to analyze single cell morphology because it enables to observe long-term activity of living cells without photobleaching and phototoxicity, which is common in other fluorescence-labeled microscopy. Despite this advantage, there are image-level drawbacks to phase-contrast microscopy, such as local light effect and contrast interference ring. Therefore, we first corrected for non-uniform illumination artifacts and then we use intensity distribution information to detect cell boundary. In phase contrast microscopy image, cell is normally appeared as dark region surrounded by bright halo ring. Due to halo artifact is minimal around the cell body and has non-symmetric diffusion pattern, we calculate cross sectional plane which intersects center of each cell and orthogonal to first principal axis. Then, we extract dark cell region by analyzing intensity profile curve considering local bright peak as halo area. Finally, we calculated the Fourier descriptor that morphological characteristics of cell to classify tumor cells into active and inactive groups. We validated classification accuracy by comparing our findings with manually obtained results.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.77-89
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• 2013

Objectives Tongue diagnosis is an important diagnostic method in traditional Eastern medicine, and it has a high potential to be used in the future healthcare because of easy, quick, and non-contact measuring features. Recently, research and development efforts on computerized tongue diagnosis systems (CTDS) have been active that led to the technical advancements in the field of photographing techniques, image extraction and classification algorithms. In this study, we analyzed the trends in the CTDS patents. Using the WIPS search engine (www.wipsglobal.com), quantitative and qualitative patent analyses were performed through Korea, China, Japan, U.S.A and Europe. Methods For a systematic search and data analysis, we defined patent categories based on the application area and technical details. By applying thus-obtained categorical key words, we obtained 360 relevant patents on photographing techniques, image extraction and classification algorithms for the purpose of diagnosis or security. Results As a result, companies related to image acquisition, medical imaging and mobile devices and research groups of universities in East Asia were major patent applicants. In all the five countries, the number of patents have been increasing since 1980. In particular, technology related to color correction and image segmentation were most actively patented categories, and expected to continue a high application rate.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.489-497
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• 1994

The most serious problems related to the cardiovascular prothesis are thrombosis and hemolysis. It is known that the flow pattern of cardiovascular prostheses is highly correlated with thrombosis and hemolysis. Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) is a usual method to get flow pattern, which is difficult to operate and has narrow measure region. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) can solve these problems. Because the flow speed of valve is too high to catch particles by CCD camera, high-speed camera (Hyspeed : Holland-Photonics) was used. The estimated maximum flow speed was 5m/sec and maximum trackable length is 0.5 cm, so the shutter speed was determined as 1000 frames per sec. Several image processing techniques (blurring, segmentation, morphology, etc) were used for the preprocessing. Particle tracking algorithm and 2-D interpolation technique which were necessary in making gridrized velocity pronto, were applied to this PIV program. By using Single-Pulse Multi-Frame particle tracking algorithm, some problems of PIV can be solved. To eliminate particles which penetrate the sheeted plane and to determine the direction of particle paths are these solving methods. 1-D relaxation fomula is modified to interpolate 2-D field. Parachute artificial heart valve which was developed by Seoul National University and Bjork-Shiely valve was testified. For each valve, different flow pattern, velocity profile, wall shear stress and mean velocity were obtained.

• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1247-1254
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• 2003

Currently. the north american symptomatic carotid endarterectomy trial, european carotid surgery trial, and common carotid method are used to measure the carotid stenosis for determining candidate for carotid endarterectomy using the projection angiography from different modalities such as digital subtraction angiography. rotational angiography, computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance angiography. A new computerized carotid stenosis measuring system was developed using MR angiography axial image to overcome the drawbacks of conventional carotid stenosis measuring methods, to reduce the variability of inter-observer and intra-observer. The gray-level thresholding is one of the most popular and efficient method for image segmentation. We segmented the carotid artery and lumen from three-dimensional time-of-flight MRA axial image using gray-level thresholding technique. Using the measured intima-media thickness value of common carotid artery for each cases, we separated carotid artery wall from the segmented carotid artery region. After that, the regions of segmented carotid without artery wall were divided into region of blood flow and plaque. The calculation of carotid stenosis degree was performed as the following; carotid stenosis grading is(area measure of plaque/area measure of blood flow region and plaque) * 100%.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.171-178
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• 2019

The use of anti-scatter grids in radiographic imaging has the advantage of preventing the image distortion caused by scattered radiation. However, it carries the side effect of leaving artifacts in the X-ray image. In this paper, we propose a grid line suppression technique using discrete cosine transform(DCT). In X-ray images, the grid lines have different characteristics depending on the shape of the object and the area of the image. To solve this problem, we adopt the DCT transform based on a dynamic segmentation, and propose a filter transfer function for each individual segment. An algorithm for detecting the band of grid lines in frequency domain and a band stop filter(BSF) with a filter transfer function of a combination of Kaiser window and Butterworth filter have been proposed. To solve the blocking effects, we present a method to determine the pixel values using multiple structured images. The validity of the proposed theory has been evaluated from the experimental results using 140 X-ray images.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.267-273
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• 2011

In this paper, we proposed the method to detect brain tumor region in MR images. Our method is composed of 3 parts, detection of tumor slice, detection of tumor region and tumor boundary detection. In the tumor slice detection step, a slice which contains tumor regions is distinguished using symmetric analysis in 3D brain volume. The tumor region detection step is the process to segment the tumor region in the slice distinguished as a tumor slice. And tumor region is finally detected, using spatial feature and symmetric analysis based on the cluster information. The process for detecting tumor slice and tumor region have advantages which are robust for noise and requires less computational time, using the knowledge of the brain tumor and cluster-based on symmetric analysis. And we use the level set method with fast marching algorithm to detect the tumor boundary. It is performed to find the tumor boundary for all other slices using the initial seeds derived from the previous or later slice until the tumor region is vanished. It requires less computational time because every procedure is not performed for all slices.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.100-106
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• 2021

Measuring Intima-media thickness (IMT) with ultrasound images can help early detection of coronary artery disease. As a result, numerous machine learning studies have been conducted to measure IMT. However, most of these studies require several steps of pre-treatment to extract the boundary, and some require manual intervention, so they are not suitable for on-site treatment in urgent situations. in this paper, we propose to use deep learning networks U-Net, Attention U-Net, and Pretrained U-Net to automatically segment the intima-media complex. This study also applied the HE, HS, and CLAHE preprocessing technique to wireless portable ultrasound diagnostic device images. As a result, The average dice coefficient of HE applied Models is 71% and CLAHE applied Models is 70%, while the HS applied Models have improved as 72% dice coefficient. Among them, Pretrained U-Net showed the highest performance with an average of 74%. When comparing this with the mean value of IMT measured by Conventional wired ultrasound equipment, the highest correlation coefficient value was shown in the HS applied pretrained U-Net.