• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.175-181
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• 2015

In this paper, we studied additional filter and Ion chamber combinations to reduce patient dose without decreasing image quality in digital chest x-ray projection. The experiment set 125 kVp, 320 mA, AEC mode. Ion chamber sensors was divided by 4 cases of combinations, then, we measured patient dose and calculated organ dose using PCXMC. Also, physical image assessment using MTF was performed. As a results, The surface entrance dose and organ dose were the lowest when selecting both left and right Ion chamber sensors under the same conditions of additional filter. In image quality assessment, The spatial frequency scored 2.494 lp/mm which was highest when selecting both right and left Ion-chambers and 0.1 mmCu filter. And to conclude, to select both right and left Ion chamber sensors and 0.1 mmCu filter will help for acquiring good quality image as well as reducing patient dose.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.229-232
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• 2003

A waste container, one of the key compartments in a multi-barrier system for a potential high level radioactive waste (HLW) repository in Korea ensures the mechanical stability against the lithostatic pressure of a deep geologic strata and the swelling pressure of the bentonite buffer. Also, it prohibits potential release of radionuclides for a certain period of time. before it is corroded by impurities. Even though the materials of a waste container is carefully chosen and all manufacturing processes are under heavy quality assurance, there might be a slight chance of intial defects in a waste container. Also, during the deposition of a waste container in a repository, there might be a chance of an incident affecting the integrity of a waste container. In this study, the FEP's and the scenarios over radiological impact of a potential initial waste container defect was developed. Then the total system performance assessment on this initial waste container failure (ICF) scenario was carried out by the MASCOT-K, one of the probabilistic safety assessment tools KAERI has developed. Results show that for the data set studied in this paper, the annual individual dose by the ICF scenario well meets the KINS regulation.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.50-58
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• 2018

Background: In terms of the Level 3 probabilistic safety assessment (Level 3 PSA), ingestion of food that had been exposed to radioactive materials is important to assess the intermediate- and long-term radiological dose. Because the ingestion dose is considerably dependent upon the agricultural and dietary characteristics of each country, the reliability of the assessment results may become diminished if the characteristics of a foreign country are considered. Thus, this study intends to evaluate and analyze the ingestion dose of Korean during a severe accident by completely considering the available agricultural and dietary characteristics in Korea. Materials and Methods: This study uses COMIDA2, which is a program based on dynamic food chain model. It sets the parameters that are appropriate to Korean characteristics so that we can evaluate the inherent ingestion dose of Korean. The results were analyzed by considering the accident date and food category with regard to the $^{137}Cs$. Results and Discussion: The dose and contribution of the food category depicted distinctive differences based on the accident date. Particularly, the ingestion dose during the first and second years depicted a considerable difference by the accident date. However, after the third year, the effect of foliar absorption was negligible and exhibited a similar tendency along with the order of root uptake rate based on the food category. Conclusion: In this study, the agricultural and dietary characteristics of Korea were analyzed and evaluated the ingestion dose of Korean during a severe accident using COMIDA2. By considering the inherent characteristics of Korean, it can be determined that the results of this study will significantly contribute to the reliability of the Level 3 PSA.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.186-191
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• 2007

The objective of this research was to assess the reliability of data and to improve nuclear analytical techniques concerning the Domestic Radioactivity Intercomparison program for environmental radioactivity monitoring of Jeju from 1998 to 2006. Gross beta for filter papers and water samples was determined, and gamma nuclides for natural and artificial nuclides in soil and water samples were analyzed. The gross beta activity of all samples except for the water samples of 1998 and 1999 showed a good agreement within the confidence intervals. In gamma nuclides, $^{40}K$ and $^{137}Cs$ of soil samples and most nuclides in the water samples, with the exception of several nuclides, were evaluated to be reliable. Based on these results, it is considered that a reliable method for the analysis and monitoring of environmental radioactivity were established, which may play an important role in case of emergency radiation accident.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.253-262
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• 2004

Construction of tunnels in a deep crystalline host rock for a potential High-Level Radioactive Waste(HLW) repository inevitably generates an excavation disturbed zone (EDZ). There have been a series of debates on whether a permeability in an EDZ increases or not and what would be the maximum depth of an EDZ. Recent studies show mixed opinions on permeability. However, there has been an international consensus on the thickness of an EDZ; 30 cm for TBM and 1 meter for controlled blast. One of the impacts of an EDZ is on determining the distance between adjacent deposition holes. The void gap by the excavation hinders relaxation of temperature profiles so that the current Korean reference designing distance between holes should be stretched out more to keep the maximum temperature in a buffer region below 100 degrees Celsius. The other impact of an EDZ is on the long-term post closure radiological safety. To estimate the impact, the reference scenario, the well scenario, is chosen. Released nuclides diffuse through a bentonite buffer region experiencing strong sorption and reach a fracture surrounded by a porous medium. Inside a fractured porous region, radionuclides migrate by advection and dispersion with matrix diffusion into a porous medium. Finally, they reach a well assumed to be a source of potable water for local residents. The annual individual dose is assessed on this well scenario to find out the significance of an EDZ. A profound sensitivity study was performed, but all results show that the impact is negligible. Even though the role of an EDZ turns out to be limited on overall safety assessment, still it is worthwhile to study the chemical role of an EDZ, such as a potential source for natural colloids, potential sealing of an open fracture by fine clay particles generated by the process of an EDZ, and alteration of a sorption mechanism by an EDZ in the future.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.147-152
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• 2017

Background: To evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes of arthroscopic-assisted reduction and percutaneous screw fixation for glenoid fractures with scapular extension, and investigate the radiologic and clinical benefits from the results. Methods: We evaluated patients treated with arthroscopic-assisted reduction and percutaneous screw fixation for glenoid fractures with scapular extension from November 2008 to September 2015. Fractures with displacement exceeding one-fourth of the anterior-articular surface or more than one-third of the posterior-articular surface in radiographic images were treated by surgery. Clinical assessment was conducted based on range of motion, Rowe score, and Constant score of injured arm and uninjured arm at last follow-up. Results: Fifteen patients with Ideberg classification grade III, IV, and V glenoid fracture who underwent arthroscopic-assisted reduction using percutaneous screw fixation were retrospectively enrolled. There were no differences in clinical outcomes at final follow-up compared to uninjured arm. Bone union was seen in all cases within five months, and the average time to bone union was 15.2 weeks. Ankylosis in one case was observed as a postoperative complication, but the symptoms improved in response to physical therapy for six months. There was no failure of fixation and neurovascular complication. Conclusions: We identified acceptable results upon radiological and clinical assessment for the arthroscopic-assisted reduction and percutaneous fixation. For this reason, we believe the method is favorable for the treatment of Ideberg type III, IV, and V glenoid fractures. Restoration of the articular surface is considered to be more important than reduction of fractures reduction of the scapula body.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.1
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• pp.80-90
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• 2024

Background: There are many methods of evaluating diaphragmatic function, including trans-diaphragmatic pressure measurements, which are considered the key rule of diagnosis. We studied the clinical usefulness of chest ultrasonography in evaluating stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and those in exacerbation, focusing on diaphragmatic measurements and their correlation with spirometry and other clinical parameters. Methods: In a prospective case-control study, we enrolled 100 COPD patients divided into 40 stable COPD patients and 60 patients with exacerbation. The analysis included 20 age-matched controls. In addition to the clinical assessment of the study population, radiological evaluation included chest radiographs and chest computed tomography. Transthoracic ultrasonography (TUS) was performed for all included subjects. Results: Multiple A lines (more than 3) were more frequent in COPD exacerbation than in stable patients, as was the case for B-lines. TUS significantly showed high specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and accuracy in detecting pleural effusion, consolidation, pneumothorax, and lung mass. Diaphragmatic measurements were significantly lower among stable COPD subjects than healthy controls. Diaphragmatic thickness and excursion displayed a significant negative correlation with body mass index and the dyspnea scale, and a positive correlation with spirometry measures. Patients in Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) group D showed lower diaphragmatic measurements (thickness and excursion). Conclusion: The TUS of COPD patients both in stable and exacerbated conditions and the assessment of diaphragm excursion and thickness by TUS in COPD patients and their correlations to disease-related factors proved informative and paved the way for the better management of COPD patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2016

Despite of increasing the use of the digital imaging device in the radiology area, the setting on the optimal irradiation conditions are insufficient. In this study, the exposure dose and image quality by exposure condition of digital radiography device were compared. The exposure doses were obtained by adjusting the exposure condition as 5 steps respectively based on the exposure conditions that are currently used of CR and DR radiography devices. The acquired image has been assessed by 20 medical image professors using the assessment method of the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis Prevent. As a result, in the case of the CR system, the better image quality was obtained in the condition of 120 kVp and 1.5 mAs~2.4 mAs (quality score 91~95.5 points) than standard exposure condition(110 kVp, 3.2 mAs, 86 points). And exposure dose was evaluated as low with $61.3{\sim}98.4{\mu}Gy$ than standard condition($105.11{\mu}Gy$). In DR system, however, the image quality score was higher as 97~98.6 points in the lower tube voltage range (112 kVp, 2.4~3.2 mAs) condition than the standard exposure condition (125 kVp, 3.2 mAs, 91 points). In addition, the exposure dose was $61.5-77.2{\mu}Gy$ lower than standard condition($93{\mu}Gy$). In addition, the exposure dose was low as $61.5-77.2{\mu}Gy$ than standard condition($93{\mu}Gy$). With the results of this study, we confirmed that it is possible to reduce the patient exposure dose with the same image quality by adjusting the optimal exposure condition of digital device.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2005

Purpose : Early detection of small brain metastases is important. The purpose of this study was to compare the detectability of brain metastases according to the size between 1.5 T and 3.0 T MRI. Materials and Methods : We reviewed 162 patients with primary lung cancer who were examined for TNM staging. After administration of double dose of Gd-DTPA, MR imaging was performed with SPGR by 3.0 T MRI and then with T1 SE sequence by 1.5 T MRI. In each patient, three readers performed qualitative assessment. Sensitivity, positive predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy were calculated in 3.0 T and 1.5 T MRI according to size. Using the signal intensity (SI) measurements between the metastatic nodules and adjacent tissue, nodule-to-adjacent tissue SI ratio was calculated. Results : Thirty-one of 162 patients had apparent metastatic nodules in the brain at either 1.5 T or 3.0 T MR imaging. 143 nodules were detected in 3.0 T MRI, whereas 137 nodules were detected at 1.5 T MRI. Six nodules, only detected in 3.0 T MRI, were smaller than 3.0 mm in dimension. Sensitivity, positive predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy in 3.0 T MRI were 100 %, 100 %, and 100 % respectively, and in 1.5 T MRI were 95.8%, 88.3%, and 85.1% respectively. SI ratio was significantly higher in the 3.0 T MRI than 1.5 T MRI (p=0.025). Conclusion : True positive rate of 3.0 T MRI with Gd-DTPA was superior to 1.5 T MRI with Gd-DTPA in detection of metastatic nodules smaller than 3.0 mm.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2010

Purpose : To compare the relative values of various fast breath-hold imaging sequences for superparamagnetic iron-oxide (SPIO)-enhanced hepatic MRI for the assessment of solid focal lesions with a 3T MRI unit. Materials and Methods : 102 consecutive patients with one or more solid malignant hepatic lesions were evaluated by spoiled gradient echo (GRE) sequences with three different echo times (2.4 msec [GRE_2.4], 5.8 msec [GRE_5.8], and 10 msec [GRE_10]) for $T2^*$-weighted imaging in addition to T2-weighted turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence following intravenous SPIO injection. Image qualities of the hepatic contour, vascular landmarks and artifacts were rated by two independent readers using a four-point scale. For quantitative analysis, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was measured in 170 solid focal lesions larger than 1 cm (107 hepatocellular carcinomas, nine cholangiocarcinomas and 54 metastases). Results : GRE_5.8 showed the highest mean points for hepatic contour, vascular anatomy and imaging artifact presence among all of the subjected sequences (p<0.001) and was comparable (p=0.414) with GRE_10 with regard to lesion conspicuity. The mean CNRs were significantly higher (p<0.001) in the following order: GRE_10 ($24.4{\pm}14.5$), GRE_5.8 ($14.8{\pm}9.4$), TSE ($9.7{\pm}6.3$), and GRE_2.4 ($7.9{\pm}6.4$). The mean CNRs of CCCs and metastases were higher than those of HCCs for all imaging sequences (p<0.05). Conclusion : Regarding overall performances, GRE using a moderate echo time of 5.8 msec can provide the most reliable data among the various fast breath-hold SPIO-enhanced hepatic MRI sequences at 3T unit despite the lower CNR of GRE_5.8 compared to that of GRE_10.