Void fraction measurement in water-steam mixture by means of a 252Cf neutron source

The use of a ²⁵²Cf neutron source is proposed for void fraction measurement. The method is based on the detection of thermal neutrons obtained by the slowing-down of fast neutrons in water-steam mixtures.The performances of the neutron gauge are compared with those of a gauge based on the well-known gamma-ray attenuation method. Measurements were performed on an air-Plexiglas model of void distributions.With the neutron method it is possible to evaluate the mean void fraction of the mixture flowing in a channel regardless, within experimental error limits, of the actual void distribution.     

Study of a loop heat pipe using neutron radiography.

An explanation is given of what a loop heat pipe (LHP) is, and how it works. It is then shown that neutron imaging (both real time neutron radioscopy and single exposure neutron radiography) is an effective experimental tool for the study of LHPs. Specifically, neutron imaging has helped to identify and correct a cooling water distribution problem in the condenser, and has enabled visualization of two-phase flow (liquid and vapor) in various components of the LHP. In addition, partial wick dry-out, a phenomenon of great importance in the effective operation of LHPs, is potentially identifiable with neutron imaging. It is anticipated that neutron radioscopy and radiography will greatly contribute to our understanding of LHP operation, and will lead to improvement of LHP modeling and design.     

Posterior beam-stop method for scatter fraction measurement in digital radiography.

The authors presented a new posterior beam-stop (PBS) technique for measuring the ratio of scattered to total-detected photon flux (scatter fraction) in a radiographic examination while preserving the diagnostic quality of the image. The scatter measurement was made using a standard imaging geometry with both beam stops and an additional x-ray detector placed behind the standard imaging detector. This PBS geometry differs from the standard beam-stop (SBS) technique for scatter measurement. With SBS, a beam-stop shadow appears on the image. To evaluate the PBS technique, scatter fraction measurements were performed on an anatomic phantom using both the PBS and SBS techniques. When compared with the standard technique, PBS provided accurate estimation of scatter fractions. Since the measurement can be performed without degrading a standard clinical radiographic examination, the PBS technique allows simultaneous acquisition of scatter measurements from human patients in combination with a standard radiographic examination.     

Bone structure investigation using X-ray and neutron radiography techniques.

In this paper we report a study of the periodic variation of bone tissue humidity immediately after death using both neutron and X-ray radiography techniques. After death, bone tissue experiences sequential change over time. This change consists of organic and inorganic phase variations of the bone structure, as well as gradual reduction of the bone's water content. These variations are investigated by periodically imaging dead bone using X-ray and neutron radiography. Chemical separation techniques such as calcification and decalcification were used to separate the organic and inorganic phases of the bone. Comparison between X-ray and neutron radiographs of bone following phase separation can be potentially used to investigate the bone disease or to determine a cause of death. In our experiments, we use adult rat femur bones, and the interpretations of these results are presented based on our understanding of bone structure and images produced by neutron and X-ray photon interactions.     

Detection and measurement of simulated early rheumatoid lesions of the hand using digital subtraction radiography

The ability of digital subtraction radiography, a new technique to detect and quantify small bone lesions, is demonstrated. Discrete lesions in the metacarpals of cadaver hands simulated erosive bone loss. Radiographs made before and after removal of bone were digitized and subtracted. Density changes on subtraction images were determined, and bone loss was estimated by an automatic procedure that compared changes in radiographic density with a calibration wedge included in the radiographs. Comparison of estimated bone loss with the weight of bone removed showed reproducible detection and measurement of bone lesions as small as 4.6 mg, a size undetectable using current radiographic methods. Subtraction radiographs of bone chips overlaid on the hand of a volunteer indicated detection limits were similar in vivo. This technique enhanced the radiographic visibility of erosive lesions and thus has the potential to improve the detection of subtle bone changes in clinical settings.     

Resolution-insensitive velocity and flow rate measurement in low-background phase-contrast MRA.

Magnetic resonance (MR) phase-contrast (PC) flow measurements are degraded by partial volume errors when the spatial resolution is low, in particular when a large difference in signal magnitude exists between the fluid and the surrounding material. The latter is often the case in phantom studies and may be encountered when flow is measured in prosthetic vessel segments (such as shunts, grafts, and bypasses) and in contrast-enhanced blood. This paper presents a new method that is designed to measure flow in vessels of circular cross-section with Poiseuille flow and negligible background signal arising from static material around the lumen. The method calculates the average flow velocity directly from the original complex image data by integrating the signal in oppositely velocity-sensitized PC images. The radius is calculated from the summed signal modulus. The method allows accurate and resolution-insensitive measurements of the average flow velocity to be obtained in both cross-sectional and in-plane acquisitions. It is not critical to any of the assumed conditions. The validity and capabilities of the proposed technique are demonstrated by in vitro experiments.     

Velocity field measurement in gas-liquid metal two-phase flow with use of PIV and neutron radiography techniques.

To establish reasonable safety concepts for the realization of commercial liquid-metal fast breeder reactors, it is indispensable to demonstrate that the release of excessive energy due to re-criticality of molten core could be prevented even if a severe core damage accident took place. Two-phase flow due to the boiling of fuel-steel mixture in the molten core pool has a larger liquid-to-gas density ratio and higher surface tension in comparison with those of ordinary two-phase flows such as air-water flow. In this study, to investigate the effect of the recirculation flow on the bubble behavior, visualization and measurement of nitrogen gas-molten lead bismuth in a rectangular tank was performed by using neutron radiography and particle image velocimetry techniques. Measured flow parameters include flow regime, two-dimensional void distribution, and liquid velocity field in the tank. The present technique is applicable to the measurement of velocity fields and void fraction, and the basic characteristics of gas-liquid metal two-phase mixture were clarified.     

Image enhancement using MCNP5 code and MATLAB in neutron radiography

This work presents a method that can be used to enhance the neutron radiography (NR) image for objects with high scattering materials like hydrogen, carbon and other light materials. This method used Monte Carlo code, MCNP5, to simulate the NR process and get the flux distribution for each pixel of the image and determines the scattered neutron distribution that caused image blur, and then uses MATLAB to subtract this scattered neutron distribution from the initial image to improve its quality.This work was performed before the commissioning of digital NR system in Jan. 2013. The MATLAB enhancement method is quite a good technique in the case of static based film neutron radiography, while in neutron imaging (NI) technique, image enhancement and quantitative measurement were efficient by using ImageJ software. The enhanced image quality and quantitative measurements were presented in this work.     

Decompression sickness and intravenous bubble formation using a 7.8 psia simulated pressure-suit environment

The purpose of this study was to determine the minimum spacesuit pressure required to prevent decompression sickness (DCS) during operational conditions in a 50% oxygen/50% nitrogen environment. In this study, 30 male volunteer subjects were exposed in groups of three, to three consecutive daily extravehicular activity (EVA) simulations at 7.8 psia (5,031 m altitude equivalent) for a continuous period of 6 h. During each altitude exposure, the subjects participated in similar exercise workloads expected to be experienced by astronauts during a typical EVA scenario. Precordial Doppler monitoring revealed that 73.3% of the subjects had intravenous bubbling during at least 1 d of the 3 d of exposure, with 26.7% remaining bubble-free during the entire study. No correlation was found between either body fat or age and incidence of bubble formation. One case of DCS occurred during the study indicating that 7.8 psia is not sufficient pressure to totally preclude DCS in a 50% oxygen/50% nitrogen environment. The necessary pressure awaits further study.     

Comparison between a screen-film system and a selenium radiography system. An ROC study using simulated thoracic lesions

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic image quality of the hard copies of a commercially available selenium detector-based computed radiography system compared to that of a conventional screen-film system. METHODS: Ten radiographs of an anthropomorphic chest phantom with simulated nodular and linear-reticular lesions were produced using either system. Each radiograph was subdivided into 15 fields containing zero lesions, one nodular lesion, one linear-reticular lesion, or both lesions. The total of 150 fields for each modality was reviewed by six radiologists, and receiver operating analysis was performed. RESULTS: The conventional screen-film system performed significantly better for nodular lesions, whereas no statistically significant difference was found between the detection rates of both systems for linear-reticular lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The better detection of nodules with the dedicated selenium detector can be explained by the higher dynamic range of the system. Detection of linear-reticular lesions was slightly but not significantly better with the screen-film system, but the detection rate of the selenium detector might be further improved with a different image processing technique.     

The drying process of concrete: a neutron radiography study.

The natural drying process of concrete, which has a significant effect on its characteristics, for example durability, was studied at the neutron radiography facility at SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor, operated by Necsa. Monitoring of the movement of the water in concrete samples, which were wet cured for one day and covered on all the sides but one, was done by means of a CCD camera system. In this paper the methodology in observing the drying process will be described together with results obtained from this investigation. The measured water content and porosity results were quantified and compared reasonably well with conventional gravimetrical measurements.     

Feasibility of in vivo measurement of carotid wall shear rate using spiral fourier velocity encoded MRI

Arterial wall shear stress is widely believed to influence the formation and growth of atherosclerotic plaque; however, there is currently no gold standard for its in vivo measurement. The use of phase contrast MRI has proved to be challenging due to partial‐volume effects and inadequate signal‐to‐noise ratio at the high spatial resolutions that are required. This work evaluates the use of spiral Fourier velocity encoded MRI as a rapid method for assessing wall shear rate in the carotid arteries. Wall shear rate is calculated from velocity histograms in voxels spanning the blood/vessel wall interface, using a method developed by Frayne and Rutt (Magn Reson Med 1995;34:378–387). This study (i) demonstrates the accuracy of the velocity histograms measured by spiral Fourier velocity encoding in a pulsatile carotid flow phantom compared with high‐resolution two‐dimensional Fourier transform phase contrast, (ii) demonstrates the accuracy of Fourier velocity encoding–based shear rate measurements in a numerical phantom designed using a computational fluid dynamics simulation of carotid flow, and (iii) demonstrates in vivo measurement of regional wall shear rate and oscillatory shear index in the carotid arteries of healthy volunteers at 3 T. Magn Reson Med 63:1537–1547, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Detection of simulated internal tooth resorption using conventional radiography and subtraction imaging

OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of conventional radiography with digital subtraction imaging in the detection of simulated internal resorption. METHODS: Simulated resorption cavities were created by the sequential use of progressively larger round burs (ISO size range 006-016) in the labial wall of the coronal or apical thirds of the pulp chamber of the maxillary incisors of two cadavers. Five viewers examined 120 pairs of radiographs, one of each pair being baseline (no lesion) and the other with or without a lesion. The process was then repeated with subtraction images of the pairs of radiographs. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the two imaging modalities. RESULTS: Using conventional radiography, the minimum lesion size detectable coronally was in the 'medium' range (ISO size 010 and 012 round burs), but only 'large' lesions (ISO size 014 and 016) could be detected in the apical region. The overall diagnostic accuracy of subtraction imaging was superior to conventional radiography but only significant (P<0.05) for coronal lesions. CONCLUSION: Subtraction radiography may be a useful tool for detecting and monitoring the progress of internal root resorption.     

Analysis and testing of the divergence and alignment indicator using the Penn State neutron radiography beam.

The divergence and alignment indicator (DAI) was developed to test the alignment of the imaging plane in a neutron beam and to determine the divergence angle of the beam. The construction of the device was intentionally kept simple to allow ease of implementation. The DAI consists of an aluminum plate and rods, and cadmium wire for contrast. The device was tested in the Pennsylvania State University Breazeale Nuclear Reactor neutron radiography beam. Three basic cases (aligned, aligned in only one direction, and completely misaligned), were used to determine that the derived equations for calculating the beam divergence were correct for each case. During the use of a newly fabricated DAI device, it was discovered that the most prominent weakness of the DAI is the precision necessary in the construction. For example, the top of the plate must be precisely flat. Otherwise, the minor differences in height will lead to large discrepancies in the data.     

Trial of very cold neutron radiography in Kyoto University reactor.

A practical very cold neutron (VCN) radiography using a neutron imaging plate was carried out in VCN facility, Kyoto University Reactor (KUR: 5MW). The neutron flux from the VCN bender with the characteristic wavelength of 4.8 nm gives a good image with 5 min irradiation time when CNS was operated. The macroscopic total cross sections of water were measured by imaging plates. It is Sigma(th)=0.87 cm(-1) measured in KUR E2 thermal neutron radiography facility and that of VCN is Sigma(VCN)=9.4 cm(-1). The resolution of water thickness is less than 0.1 mm for VCN radiography and close to the positional resolution of an imaging plate. VCN radiography can show the change of water quantity in gypsophila during a drying procedure.     

In vivo measurement of pulsewave velocity in small vessels using intravascular MR.

A one-dimensional intravascular MR (IVMR) technique for the measurement of pulsewave velocity in a single cardiac cycle is presented. The technique was used to measure pulsewave velocity in vivo in the intact rabbit model, where its sensitivity to different hemodynamic states was demonstrated using a pharmacological intervention with phenylephrine and nitroprusside. IVMR measurements of pulsewave velocity were found to increase with mean arterial pressure, as expected. Further, IVMR-based pulsewave velocity estimates were in agreement with those measured by pressure catheters and direct distensibility measurement. Because of their rapidity and highly localized nature, these measurements of vessel elasticity may complement the high-resolution vascular imaging information gained in an IVMR examination. This could allow assessment of atherosclerotic plaques and facilitate immediate treatment decisions. Magn Reson Med 45:53-60, 2001.     

Improved estimation of velocity and flow rate using regularized three-point phase-contrast velocimetry.

We improved the three-point phase-contrast method by regularization of MR velocity data after acquisition of a low velocity-to-noise ratio (VNR) velocity image and a high VNR aliased velocity image. The phase unwrapping algorithm is based on the assumed correlation of the velocity of adjacent flow voxels on the low VNR and the unaliased high VNR images. We used Fourier encoding with eight velocity-encoding gradient steps to obtain reference velocity images of the aorta from five subjects (274 images) and compared them with the phase-contrast and three-point phase-contrast images with and without regularization. The VNR of the regularized velocity image was improved by 9.1 dB and the VNR of the three-point phase-contrast velocity image was improved by 0.7 dB with respect to the low first moment velocity image. Corresponding improvements of 9 dB and 3.7 dB were obtained for the estimations of instantaneous flow rate. Magn Reson Med 44:122-128, 2000.     

Quantitative measurement of blood flow using cylindrically localized Fourier velocity encoding.

A procedure for the quantitative measurement of blood velocity was developed and evaluated in the portal vein, aorta, and vena cava of healthy volunteers. This procedure utilizes Fourier velocity encoding and can be performed with or without cardiac gating. The accuracy of velocity measurements is determined by the accuracy of the gradient subsystem. Flow measurements derived from the velocity measurement are further limited in their accuracy by the luminal cross-section measurement. Spatial localization is accomplished with an excitation pulse having a cylindrical rather than slab geometry. Data are acquired in the presence of a readout gradient to provide resolution along the cylindrical axis.     

Quantitative measurement of velocity at multiple positions using comb excitation and fourier velocity encoding

An MR imaging technique that simultaneously acquires Fourier velocity encoded data from multiple stations is described. The technique employs a comb excitation rf pulse that excites an arbitrary number of slices. As the Fourier velocity phase encoding gradient pulse is advanced, the phase of each slice is the comb is advanced by a unique amount. This causes the signals from the spins in a particular slice to appear at a position in the phase encoding direction, which is the sum of the spin velocity and an offset arising from the phase increment given to that excitation slice. Acquisition of spin velocity information occurs simultaneously for all slices, permitting the calculation of wave velocities arising from pulsatile flow. These wave velocities can then be used to determine vessel distensibility.