Ongoing quality control in digital radiography: Report of AAPM Imaging Physics Committee Task Group 151.

Quality control (QC) in medical imaging is an ongoing process and not just a series of infrequent evaluations of medical imaging equipment. The QC process involves designing and implementing a QC program, collecting and analyzing data, investigating results that are outside the acceptance levels for the QC program, and taking corrective action to bring these results back to an acceptable level. The QC process involves key personnel in the imaging department, including the radiologist, radiologic technologist, and the qualified medical physicist (QMP).

Solid-state dosimeters: a new approach for mammography measurements.

Purpose: To compare responses of modern commercially available solid-state dosimeters (SStDs) used in mammography medical physics surveys for two major vendors of current digital mammography units. To compare differences in dose estimates among SStD responses with ionization chamber (IC) measurements for several target/filter (TF) combinations and report their characteristics. To review scientific bases for measurements of quantities required for mammography for traditional measurement procedures and SStDs.

Evaluation of new data processing algorithms for planar gated ventriculography (MUGA).

Before implementing one of two new LVEF radionuclide gated ventriculogram (MUGA) systems, the results from 315 consecutive parallel patient studies were evaluated. Each gamma-camera acquisition was simultaneously processed by semi-automatic Medasys Pinnacle and by fully-automatic and semi-automatic Philips nuclear medicine computer systems. The Philips systems yielded LVEF results within +/- 5 LVEF percentage points of the Medasys system in fewer than half of the studies.

CT scanning: a major source of radiation exposure.

CT scanning is a relatively high dose procedure that is becoming much more common worldwide. In the mid-1990s, CT scanning accounted for about 4% of procedures and about 40% of the collective dose in diagnostic radiology. With the advent of helical, fluoroscopic, and multi-slice techniques the dose per procedure has not diminished and the use of CT has increased even more.