SNOM和PSTM中对聚氯乙烯小球成像的比较

本文利用时域有限差分(FDTD)法,对聚氯乙烯(PVC)小球在透射式扫描近场光学显微镜(T-SNOM)和光子扫描隧道显微镜(PSTM)两种系统中的光场分布进行数值模拟比较.结果显示:SNOM中,激励为P偏振平面波时能较好地反映样品边沿的跳变,但X方向上干涉效应会对特定位置的样品成像起到强度调制作用;PSTM中,样品的近场强度分布能明显地反映样品形貌,但样品在X方向入射波的调制以及样品之间的反射波、散射波的干涉作用使得成像较为复杂.     

光子扫描隧道显微镜成像原理的数值研究

用二时域有限公司差分(FDTD)方法模拟光子扫描隧道显微镜(PSTM)的基本原理。计算包括玻璃，空气和平面探针三层模式。给出了样品在全内反射照射下总场分和的图像和在样品上方等高扫描的光强分布图。并且给出光子扫描隧道显微镜中的光子隧道效应即在样品上方用一亚波长尺度的微小探针可将隐失波转变为传输波的图片。结果表明FDTD方法是PSTM理论研究中的强有力的工具。     

光子扫描隧道显微镜光子隧穿可视化数值模拟

提出了一种新的入射波设置“三波法”,即将光子扫描隧道显微镜(PSTM)系统中的入射波、全内反射波和透射的隐失波同时设置为时域有限差分(FDTD)计算区域的入射源,克服了PSTM中应用FDTD所遇到的存在样品台(分层界面)和全内反射等困难。给出了PSTM中探针针尖与样品相互作用和光子隧穿的物理图像。模拟了PSTM探针等高扫描过程。给出了PSTM图像,比较了单光束照射与π对称照射等高度扫描曲线的不同,前者有一定的偏移,后者可纠正偏移。     

PSTM/NSOM modeling by 2-D quadridirectional eigenmode expansion

A two-dimensional (2-D) model for photon-scanning tunneling microscopy (PSTM) of integrated optical devices is evaluated. The simulations refer to a setup where the optical field in the vicinity of the sample is probed by detecting the optical power that is transferred via evanescent or radiative coupling to the tapered tip of an optical fiber close to the sample surface. Scanning the tip across the surface leads to a map of the local optical field in the sample. As a step beyond the mere analysis of the sample device, simulations are considered that include the sample as well as the probe tip. An efficient semianalytical simulation technique based on quadridirectional eigenmode expansions is applied. Results for a series of configurations, where slab waveguides with different types of corrugations serve as samples, allow assessment of the relation between the PSTM signal and the local field distribution in the sample. A reasonable qualitative agreement was observed between these computations and a previous experimental PSTM investigation of a waveguide Bragg grating.     

Retrospective correction of MR intensity inhomogeneity byinformation minimization

In this paper, the problem of retrospective correction of intensity inhomogeneity in magnetic resonance (MR) images is addressed. A novel model-based correction method is proposed, based on the assumption that an image corrupted by intensity inhomogeneity contains more information than the corresponding uncorrupted image. The image degradation process is described by a linear model, consisting of a multiplicative and an additive component which are modeled by a combination of smoothly varying basis functions. The degraded image is corrected by the inverse of the image degradation model. The parameters of this model are optimized such that the information of the corrected image is minimized while the global intensity statistic is preserved. The method was quantitatively evaluated and compared to other methods on a number of simulated and real MR images and proved to be effective, reliable, and computationally attractive. The method can be widely applied to different types of MR images because it solely uses the information that is naturally present in an image, without making assumptions on its spatial and intensity distribution. Besides, the method requires no preprocessing, parameter setting, nor user interaction. Consequently, the proposed method may be a valuable tool in MR image analysis.     

Control of apex shape of the fiber probe employed in photonscanning tunneling microscope by a multistep etching method

In this paper, we discuss about the control of the shape of the very apex of a sharpened fiber probe used in photon scanning tunneling microscope (PSTM) by means of a method based on selective chemical etching. Under ambient conditions, through a multistep etching method proposed here, fiber probes with a flattened apex having a diameter of around 15-20 nm could be produced with high reproducibility. It has also been discovered that, during the etching process, the shape of the apex of the probe takes a rounded or a flattened shape with respect to the etching time in an almost cyclic fashion and such a phenomenon could help in understanding the mechanism of the etching process. These kind of probes with flat apex after metal coating are suitable for the fabrication of apertured probes used in PSTM and also for super tips which have a promising future as nanosensors in the fields of biology and biochemistry     

Adaptive fuzzy segmentation of magnetic resonance images

An algorithm is presented for the fuzzy segmentation of two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) multispectral magnetic resonance (MR) images that have been corrupted by intensity inhomogeneities, also known as shading artifacts. The algorithm is an extension of the 2-D adaptive fuzzy C-means algorithm (2-D AFCM) presented in previous work by the authors. This algorithm models the intensity inhomogeneities as a gain field that causes image intensities to smoothly and slowly vary through the image space. It iteratively adapts to the intensity inhomogeneities and is completely automated. In this paper, we fully generalize 2-D AFCM to three-dimensional (3-D) multispectral images. Because of the potential size of 3-D image data, we also describe a new faster multigrid-based algorithm for its implementation. We show, using simulated MR data, that 3-D AFCM yields lower error rates than both the standard fuzzy C-means (FCM) algorithm and two other competing methods, when segmenting corrupted images. Its efficacy is further demonstrated using real 3-D scalar and multispectral MR brain images.     

Accurate template-based correction of brain MRI intensity distortion with application to dementia and aging

This paper examines an alternative approach to separating magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) intensity inhomogeneity from underlying tissue-intensity structure using a direct template-based paradigm. This permits the explicit spatial modeling of subtle intensity variations present in normal anatomy which may confound common retrospective correction techniques using criteria derived from a global intensity model. A fine-scale entropy driven spatial normalisation procedure is employed to map intensity distorted MR images to a tissue reference template. This allows a direct estimation of the relative bias field between template and subject MR images, from the ratio of their low-pass filtered intensity values. A tissue template for an aging individual is constructed and used to correct distortion in a set of data acquired as part of a study on dementia. A careful validation based on manual segmentation and correction of nine datasets with a range of anatomies and distortion levels is carried out. This reveals a consistent improvement in the removal of global intensity variation in terms of the agreement with a global manual bias estimate, and in the reduction in the coefficient of intensity variation in manually delineated regions of white matter.     

A nonparametric method for automatic correction of intensitynonuniformity in MRI data

A novel approach to correcting for intensity nonuniformity in magnetic resonance (MR) data is described that achieves high performance without requiring a model of the tissue classes present. The method has the advantage that it can be applied at an early stage in an automated data analysis, before a tissue model is available. Described as nonparametric nonuniform intensity normalization (N3), the method is independent of pulse sequence and insensitive to pathological data that might otherwise violate model assumptions. To eliminate the dependence of the field estimate on anatomy, an iterative approach is employed to estimate both the multiplicative bias field and the distribution of the true tissue intensities. The performance of this method is evaluated using both real and simulated MR data     

基于小波函数的时域多分辨分析在近场光学中的应用

实现了基于双正交的Cohen Daubechies Feauveau（CDF）小波的时域多分辨分析（MRTD）,并将其用于近场电磁散射模拟中。结果表明,在相同的网格划分下基于小波的MRTD比基于尺度函数的MRTD具有更高的数值准确性。最后,对带纳米金属棒孔径光纤探针成像进行了数值模拟,结果显示其成像效果优于普通孔径探针。     

基于STM的多模式扫描探针显微镜的建立

在已有的扫描隧道显微镜（STM）基础上设计了一套集STM、 光子扫描隧道显微镜（PSTM）、近场扫描光学显微镜（NSOM）、扫描近场声学显微镜（SNAM）为一体的多模式扫描探针显微系统（SPM）。系统的4种模式可通过转换开关方便地切 换,探头的更换也很容易。利用本系统对典型样品进行了扫描成像。测试表明,系统具有良好的稳定性和超高分辨率。     

Rigid registration of 3-D ultrasound with MR images: a new approachcombining intensity and gradient information

We present a new image-based technique to rigidly register intraoperative three-dimensional ultrasound (US) with preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) images. Automatic registration is achieved by maximization of a similarity measure which generalizes the correlation ratio, and whose novelty is to incorporate multivariate information from the MR data (intensity and gradient). In addition, the similarity measure is built upon a robust intensity-based distance measure, which makes it possible to handle a variety of US artifacts. A cross-validation study has been carried out using a number of phantom and clinical data. This indicates that the method is quite robust and that the worst registration errors are of the order of the MR image resolution.     

A fast maximum-intensity projection algorithm for generating magnetic resonance angiograms

Maximum-intensity projection (MIP) algorithms, a class of algorithms for construction of magnetic resonance (MR) angiograms, are reviewed. The blood flow in a volume of interest is represented by bright intensities in the MR data volume. MIP algorithms search for the maximum intensity along parallel rays cast through the MR image volume. A projection image is formed from these maximum intensity values. The flow within the vasculature shows up in the projection plane. An approach to calculating projections in which each image slice is presorted into bins of intensities is discussed. By relating the intensities of the pixels to their location in the slice, the total number of pixels considered for the projection plane is reduced, saving calculation time. Only the brighter intensities that relate to flow are used in the projection. Additional time savings result from precalculating projection templates and filling multiple projection planes at the same time. The algorithm was written in C on a 80386-based system. Results indicate a sixfold increase in projection calculation speed over a benchmark algorithm.     

PSTM孔径光纤探针的FDTD数值模拟

用二维时域有限差分法 ,讨论了光子扫描隧道显微镜 (PSTM)中入射波的入射角、样品探针间距以及镀金膜孔径光纤的结构参数如膜厚 ,孔径宽度对成像的分辨率及灵敏度的影响 ;研究了镀不同金属膜的孔径光纤的分辨率与灵敏度 ,并与无镀膜有孔径光纤进行比较     

Differentiation of sCJD and vCJD forms by automated analysis of basal ganglia intensity distribution in multisequence MRI of the brain--definition and evaluation of new MRI-based ratios

We present a method for the analysis of basal ganglia (including the thalamus) for accurate detection of human spongiform encephalopathy in multisequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. One common feature of most forms of prion protein diseases is the appearance of hyperintensities in the deep grey matter area of the brain in T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images. We employ T1, T2, and Flair-T2 MR sequences for the detection of intensity deviations in the internal nuclei. First, the MR data are registered to a probabilistic atlas and normalized in intensity. Then smoothing is applied with edge enhancement. The segmentation of hyperintensities is performed using a model of the human visual system. For more accurate results, a priori anatomical data from a segmented atlas are employed to refine the registration and remove false positives. The results are robust over the patient data and in accordance with the clinical ground truth. Our method further allows the quantification of intensity distributions in basal ganglia. The caudate nuclei are highlighted as main areas of diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (sCJD), in agreement with the histological data. The algorithm permitted the classification of the intensities of abnormal signals in sCJD patient FLAIR images with a higher hypersignal in caudate nuclei (10/10) and putamen (6/10) than in thalami. Defining normalized MRI measures of the intensity relations between the internal grey nuclei of patients, we robustly differentiate sCJD and variant CJD (vCJD) patients, in an attempt to create an automatic classification tool of human spongiform encephalopathies.     

PSTM金属样品成像实验的数值模拟

本文采用时域多分辨分析法（MRTD）,并利用FDTD方法的完全匹配层（UPML）作为边界条件,对Eckert等人在实验中所使用的喷溅金属铝小块样品作了数值模拟分析,给出了在PSTM模型中喷溅金属铝小块样品的数值模拟的三维图像,并对试验结果和理论结果进行了比较和分析,验证了Eckert等人的实验。     

Interplay between intensity standardization and inhomogeneity correction in MR image processing

Image intensity standardization is a postprocessing method designed for correcting acquisition-to-acquisition signal intensity variations (nonstandardness) inherent in magnetic resonance (MR) images. Inhomogeneity correction is a process used to suppress the low frequency background nonuniformities (inhomogeneities) of the image domain that exist in MR images. Both these procedures have important implications in MR image analysis. The effects of these postprocessing operations on improvement of image quality in isolation has been well documented. However, the combined effects of these two processes on MR images and how the processes influence each other have not been studied thus far. In this paper, we evaluate the effect of inhomogeneity correction followed by standardization and vice-versa on MR images in order to determine the best sequence to follow for enhancing image quality. We conducted experiments on several clinical and phantom data sets (nearly 4000 three-dimensional MR images were analyzed) corresponding to four different MRI protocols. Different levels of artificial nonstandardness, and different models and levels of artificial background inhomogeneity were used in these experiments. Our results indicate that improved standardization can be achieved by preceding it with inhomogeneity correction. There is no statistically significant difference in image quality obtained between the results of standardization followed by correction and that of correction followed by standardization from the perspective of inhomogeneity correction. The correction operation is found to bias the effect of standardization. We demonstrate this bias both qualitatively and quantitatively by using two different methods of inhomogeneity correction. We also show that this bias in standardization is independent of the specific inhomogeneity correction method used. The effect of this bias due to correction was also seen in magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) images, which are naturally endowed with the standardness property. Standardization, on the other hand, does not seem to influence the correction operation. It is also found that longer sequences of repeated correction and standardization operations do not considerably improve image quality. These results were found to hold for the clinical and the phantom data sets, for different MRI protocols, for different levels of artificial nonstandardness, for different models and levels of artificial inhomogeneity, for different correction methods, and for images that were endowed with inherent standardness as well as for those that were standardized by using the intensity standardization method. Overall, we conclude that inhomogeneity correction followed by intensity standardization is the best sequence to follow from the perspective of both image quality and computational efficiency.     

Measuring the progression of foreign-body reaction to siliconeimplants using in vivo MR microscopy

We used in vivo magnetic resonance (MR) microscopy to follow the growth of fibrous capsule as a foreign body reaction to silicone implants in rats. Anesthetized rats were imaged 1, 7, 14, and 28 days after silicone-coated MR imaging coils were sutured to their neck muscles. On the twenty eighth day, rats were sacrificed and coils and adjacent tissues were removed en bloc and fixed in formalin, reimaged with MR, and sectioned for conventional histology. Three-dimensional (3-D) spin-echo [3DFT] acquisition gave in-plane resolution of 32×32 μm in vivo and 16×16 μm ex vivo. All MR images showed a diffuse band of elevated signal intensity between the silicone of the coil and adjacent tissue. The border of the hyperintense band was thin and not well defined at seven days post-implantation. From 7-28 days, the band showed relatively homogeneous signal intensity and its thickness increased 44% on the rectus muscle side and 78% on the subcutaneous side. The capsule thickness determined either by MR in vivo and ex vivo microscopy or conventional histology was not significantly different, and there was a significant correlation between thickness measurements among those methods. MR in vivo microscopy provides sufficient resolution and spatial information to serially evaluate the growth of the foreign body fibrous capsule over time, thus achieving greater accuracy and consistency in measurements     

PSTM 用于Al_2O_3光波导薄膜的研究

利用光子扫描隧道显微镜（PSTM）检测研究Al2O3光波导薄膜及其制备工艺,分析了不同温度条件下采用离子束增强沉积工艺制备的Al2O3光波导薄膜PSTM图像,结果表明,适当的增加基片的温度可以减少散射损耗 ,改善Al2O3光波导薄膜的性能。     

带偏场校正和邻域约束的快速MR脑组织分割新方法

 由于部分容积效应(PVE)、图像的偏场(INU)和噪声的存在,脑组织磁共振(MR)图像自动准确的分割是一项具有挑战性的任务.本文提出了一个准确度高并快速鲁棒的二维(2D)和三维(3D)分割算法来将脑部MR图象分割为白质(WM)、灰质(GM)和脑脊液(CSF)三种主要的解剖组织类型.该算法在标准模糊C-均值算法(FCM)的基础上提出了一个新的目标函数,包含偏场校正和邻域约束.在该算法中,采用参数模型表示INU,并且一个类似马尔可夫随机场(MRF)的邻域约束来表示脑组织空间分布一致性信息.本文给出了该算法的模拟和真实脑MR图像的分割结果,同时与其它算法进行了比较.比较结果显示该算法具有较高的准确度和较快的收敛速度.