Stacy Kopso, M.Ed.,RT(R)(M)

Quality Control (QC)-A program that specifically addresses the safe and reliable operation of equipment Required by the Joint Commission Quality Assurance (QA)- Complete program in a radiology department that addresses all aspects of quality, including customer service, image interpretation, accuracy of diagnosis, and distribution of radiologists reports

 Collimator  Accurate within 2% of SID  Effective focal spot size  Measured using pinhole camera/start test pattern  Accurate within 50% of size stated in equipment specifications  KVp  Wisconsin kVp test cassette or digital kVp meter  Accurate within 4kVp

 Timer  Single phase  Spinning top test- 1 dot for each 1/120 second exposure  3 phase  Motorized spinning top- an arc on the finished radiograph, amount of arc in degrees indicates exposure time

 Exposure Linearity  Digital dosimeter  Various mA-time combos for a give mAs  Within 10% of another Exposure Reproducibility  Digital dosimeter  kVp, mA and time  within 5% AEC  verify reproducibility of exposure using phantoms

 Fluoroscopy exposure rate  Digital dosimeter  Entrance skin dose should not be more than 10 rads/minute ABC on image intensifier check to ensure that radiation dose hitting the input phosphor is constant