• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.251-258
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• 2021

In this paper, we proposed an encoder-decoder model utilizing residual learning to improve the accuracy of the U-Net-based semantic segmentation method. U-Net is a deep learning-based semantic segmentation method and is mainly used in applications such as autonomous vehicles and medical image analysis. The conventional U-Net occurs loss in feature compression process due to the shallow structure of the encoder. The loss of features causes a lack of context information necessary for classifying objects and has a problem of reducing segmentation accuracy. To improve this, The proposed method efficiently extracted context information through an encoder using residual learning, which is effective in preventing feature loss and gradient vanishing problems in the conventional U-Net. Furthermore, we reduced down-sampling operations in the encoder to reduce the loss of spatial information included in the feature maps. The proposed method showed an improved segmentation result of about 12% compared to the conventional U-Net in the Cityscapes dataset experiment.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2023

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the risk of bone fractures increases due to a decrease in bone density caused by aging. Osteoporosis is diagnosed by measuring bone density in the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine. To accurately measure bone density in the lumbar spine, the vertebral region must be segmented from the lumbar X-ray image. Deep learning-based automatic spinal segmentation methods can provide fast and precise information about the vertebral region. In this study, we used 695 lumbar spine images as training and test datasets for a deep learning segmentation model. We proposed a lumbar automatic segmentation model, CM-Net, which combines the center point of the spine and the modified U-Net network. As a result, the average Dice Similarity Coefficient(DSC) was 0.974, precision was 0.916, recall was 0.906, accuracy was 0.998, and Area under the Precision-Recall Curve (AUPRC) was 0.912. This study demonstrates a high-performance automatic segmentation model for lumbar X-ray images, which overcomes noise such as spinal fractures and implants. Furthermore, we can perform accurate measurement of bone density on lumbar X-ray images using an automatic segmentation methodology for the spine, which can prevent the risk of compression fractures at an early stage and improve the accuracy and efficiency of osteoporosis diagnosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.353-356
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• 2006

Acute transverse myelitis (TM) is a neurological syndrome caused by inflammation of the spinal cord. TM is rare but is frequently caused by viral or bacterial infections. TM caused by tuberculosis (TB) is extremely rare and there are no reports of TM caused by multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). We report a case of acute TM due to MDR-TB in a 40-year-old man. The patient had been diagnosed with pulmonary TB and was started on the first-line anti-TB treatment. However, the chest radiographic findings were aggravated and neurological symptoms such as weakness in both lower extremities, sensory changes, and voiding difficulty were newly developed. The T2-weighted magnetic resonance image of the spine showed diffusely increased signal intensity in the spinal cord, particularly at the lower cervical and upper thoracic levels, without any definite evidence of myeloradicular compression, which is consistent with a diagnosis of TM. A drug susceptibility test revealed MDR and second-line anti-TB drugs were prescribed. The chest radiographic findings showed improvement after treatment, the mycobacterial culture converted to negative, the MRI findings improved, and there was partial improvement in the low extremity weakness. The patient has been prescribing second-line anti-TB medications for 14 months.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.6
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• pp.1477-1492
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• 2021

Purpose Dedicated breast CT is an emerging volumetric X-ray imaging modality for diagnosis that does not require any painful breast compression. To improve the detection rate of weakly enhanced lesions, an adaptive image rescaling (AIR) technique was proposed. Materials and Methods Two disks containing five identical holes and five holes of different diameters were scanned using 60/100 kVp to obtain single-energy CT (SECT), dual-energy CT (DECT), and AIR images. A piece of pork was also scanned as a subclinical trial. The image quality was evaluated using image contrast and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The difference of imaging performances was confirmed using student's t test. Results Total mean image contrast of AIR (0.70) reached 74.5% of that of DECT (0.94) and was higher than that of SECT (0.22) by 318.2%. Total mean CNR of AIR (5.08) was 35.5% of that of SECT (14.30) and was higher than that of DECT (2.28) by 222.8%. A similar trend was observed in the subclinical study. Conclusion The results demonstrated superior image contrast of AIR over SECT, and its higher overall image quality compared to DECT with half the exposure. Therefore, AIR seems to have the potential to improve the detectability of lesions with dedicated breast CT.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.488-493
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• 2011

The Korean spine geometry and property data for researchers were made by KISTI and Catholic Institute for Applied Anatomy. We took whole spine CT, X-Ray, BMD scan for making high resolution cross-sectional spine images using more 20 donated cadavers(60 - 80 years). Then we constructed 3-dimensional volume model using serial CT images by Mimics software. The major morphometric parameters of vertebrae were measured. Mechanical motion and property data were obtained by the same cadavers using the DEXA for BMD and the spine simulator. The Korean spine geometry and property data could be used for research and development of medical device.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

Ultra-wide-angle wireless endoscopes are demonstrated in this paper. The endoscope is composed of an ultra-wide-angle camera module and wireless transmission module. A lens unit with the ultra-wide FOV of 162 degrees is designed and manufactured. The lens, image sensor, and camera processor unit are packaged together in a $3{\times}3{\times}9-cm3$ case. The wireless transmission modules are implemented based on UWB- and WiFi-based platform, respectively. The UWB-based module can transmit HD video to a computer in resolution of $2048{\times}1536$ (QXGA) and the frame rate of 15 fps in MJPEG compression mode. The maximum data transfer rate reaches 41.2 Mbps. The FOV and the resolution of the endoscope is comparable to a medical-grade endoscope. The FOV and resolution is ~3X and 16X higher than that of a commercial high-performance WiFi endoscope, respectively. The WiFi-based module streams out video to a smart device with th maximum date transfer rate of 1.5 Mbps at the resolution of $640{\times}480$ (VGA) and the frame rate of 30 fps in MJPEG compression mode. The implemented components show the feasibility of cheap medical-grade wireless electronic endoscopes, which can be effectively used in u-healthcare, emergency treatment, home-healthcare, remote diagnosis, etc.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.375-381
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• 2015

Digital Radiography is a big part of diagnostic radiology. Because uncorrected digital radiography image supported false effect of Patient's health care. We must be manage the correct digital radiography image. Thus, the artifact images can have effect to make a wrong diagnosis. We report types of occurrence by analyzing the artifacts that occurs in digital radiography system. We had collected the artifacts occurred in digital radiography system of general hospital from 2007 to 2014. The collected data had analyzed and then had categorize as the occurred causes. The artifacts could be categorized by hardware artifacts, software artifacts, operating errors, system artifacts, and others. Hardware artifact from a Ghost artifact that is caused by lag effect occurred most frequently. The others cases are the artifacts caused by RF noise and foreign body in equipments. Software artifacts are many different types of reasons. The uncorrected processing artifacts and the image processing error artifacts occurred most frequently. Exposure data recognize (EDR) error artifacts, the processing error of commissural line, and etc., the software artifacts were caused by various reasons. Operating artifacts were caused when the user didn't have the full understanding of the digital medical image system. System artifacts had appeared the error due to DICOM header information and the compression algorithm. The obvious artifacts should be re-examined, and it could result in increasing the exposure dose of the patient. The unclear artifact leads to a wrong diagnosis and added examination. The ability to correctly determine artifact are required. We have to reduce the artifact occurrences by understanding its characteristic and providing sustainable education as well as the maintenance of the equipments.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.171-182
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• 2004

This study investigates the biomechanical efficacies of vertebroplasty which is used to treat vertebral body fracture with bone cement augmentation for osteoporotic patients using image and finite element analysis. Simulated models were divided into two groups: (a) a vertebral body, (b) a functional spinal unit(FSU). For a vertebral body model, the maximum axial displacement was investigated under axial compression to evaluate the effect of structural integrity. The stiffness of each FE model simulated was normalized by the stiffness of intact model. In the case of FSU model, 3 types of compression fractures were formulated to assess the influence on spinal curvature changes. The FSU models were loaded under compressive pressure to calculate the change of spinal curvature. The results according to the various factors suggest that vertebroplasty has the biomechanical efficacy of the increment of structural reinforcement in a patient who has relatively high level of BMD and a patient with the amount of 15％, PMMA injection of the cancellous bone volume. The spinal curvatures after compression fracture simulation vary from 9$^{\circ}$ to 17$^{\circ}$ of kyphosis compared to that the spinal curvature of normal model was -2.8$^{\circ}$ of lordosis. These spinal curvature changes cause the severe spinal deformity under the same loading. As the degree of compressive fracture increases the spinal deformity also increases. The results indicate that vertebroplasty has the increasing effect of the structural integrity regardless of the amount of PMMA or BMD and the restoration of decreased vertebral body height may be an important factor when the compressive fracture caused the significant height loss of vertebral body.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.217-231
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• 2003

Coded excitation with complementary Golay sequences is an effective means to increase the SNR and penetration of ultrasound imaging. in which the two complementary binary codes are transmitted successively along each scan-line, reducing the imaging frame rate by half. This method suffers from low frame rate particularly when multiple transmit focusing is employed, since the frame rate will be further reduced in proportion to the number of focal zones. In this paper. a new ultrasound imaging technique based on simultaneous multiple transmit focusing using modified orthogonal Golay codes is proposed to improve lateral resolution with no accompanying decrease in the imaging frame rate, in which a pair of orthogonal Golay codes focused at two different focal depths are transmitted simultaneously. On receive, these modified orthogonal Golay codes are separately compressed into two short pulses and individually focused. These two focused beams are combined to form a frame of image with improved lateral resolution. The Golay codes were modified to improve the transmit power efficiency (TPE) for practical imaging. Computer simulations and experimental results show that the proposed method improves significantly the lateral resolution and penetration of ultrasound imaging compared with the conventional method.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2014

PACS is needed medical imaging with large-capacity storage device. Slower transmission degrades the performance of the PACS. Thus, the image read by the reading of the long-term stored image without compromising the quality of the video, which does not affect future readings in the range will be compressed and stored. Compression and video storage, and video transport Noise generated during storage and transmission of medical images and the resulting loss of information that occurs when the monitor output from many problems. The study estimates server display monitor and client display monitor of philips DSA system, and suggests that the evaluation and improvement about PSNR, process from server display signal obtaining to client display monitor. P company DSA is used in the test. Two monitors that are $1280{\times}1024$ pixel monitor of P company and 1536x2048 pixel monitor of Wide are used displaying angiography picture. MARO-view is taken in PACS program, and Visual $C^{++}$ is taken as accomplishing PSNR measurement program. As a result of experiment, no change in No 1, 3 of PSNR appear that there is no error in telephotograph and display. In terms of compressibility, low compressibility has small change of definition, and there was not remarkable drawback of compressibility which has little change in definition.