A Quality Control Test for General X-Ray Machine

1 A v a i l a b l e o n l i n e a t w w w . w o r l d s c i e n t i f i c n e w s . c o m ( Received 02 Nowember 2017; Accepted 18 November 2017; Date of Publication 24 November 2017 ) WSN 90 (2017) 11-30 EISSN 2392-2192 A Quality Control Test for General X-Ray Machine AL-Jasim Ali Kareem1, Hulugalle2, Haider Kamil Al-Hamadani1 1 Nuclear Safety Department, Ministry of Science & Technology, Baghdad, Iraq 2 Teaching Hospital, Ministry of Health & Nutrition, Kurunegala, Sri Lanka 1,2E-mail address: , ABSTRACT The aim of a Quality assurance program is to assist a radio-diagnostic facility in consistently obtaining adequate radiological information with a minimum of dose and a minimum of cost.

2 An integrated part of a Quality assurance program is Quality Control ascertaining Quality by measurements and other procedures. When procuring equipment, a specification is worked out taking into account all aspects of the performance of the equipment including the desired tolerances of technique factors. In this study the seven tests (beam alignment, beam collimation, reproducibility, accuracy of kv, time accuracy, half value layer (HVL) and leakage) were carried out for the newly installed General X-Ray Machine at Nuclear Malaysia and were in the acceptable limits. Such a test will be the responsibility of a qualified physicist or engineer. The status test is carried out in order to establish the functional status of the equipment. The test is performed immediately after the acceptance test or as an integrated part of it.

3 The test will be repeated when repair influencing the functional status has taken place like the acceptance test; the status test will comprise absolute measurements and will likewise be the responsibility of a qualified physicist or engineer. Keywords: Quality Control , X-Ray Machine , Quality Assurance 1. INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a Quality assurance (QA) programme in diagnostic radiology as an organized effort by the staff operating a facility to ensure that the diagnostic images produced are of sufficiently high Quality so that they consistently provide Wo r l d S c i e n t i f i c N e w s 90 (2017) 11-30 -12- adequate diagnostic information at the lowest possible cost and with the least possible exposure of the patient.

4 The nature and extent of this programme will vary with the size and type of the facility, the type of examinations conducted, and other factors. The determination of what constitutes high Quality in any QA programme will be made by the diagnostic radiology facility producing the images. The QA programme must cover the entire X-Ray system from Machine , to processor, to view box. Quality assurance actions include both Quality Control (QC) techniques and Quality administration procedures. QC is normally part of the QA programme and Quality Control techniques and those techniques used in the monitoring (or testing) and maintenance of the technical elements or components of an X-Ray system. The Quality Control techniques thus are concerned directly with the equipment that can affect the Quality of the image the part of the QA programme that deals with instrumentation and equipment.

5 An X-Ray system refers to an assemblage of components for the controlled production of diagnostic images with X- rays . It includes minimally an X-Ray high voltage generator, an X-Ray Control device, a tube-housing assembly, a beam-limiting device and the necessary supporting structures. Other components that function with the system, such as image receptors, image processors, automatic exposure Control devices, view boxes and darkrooms, are also parts of the system. The main goal of a QC programme is to ensure the accuracy of the diagnosis or the intervention (optimizing the outcome) while minimizing the radiation dose [1-22]. To achieve that objective in a typical diagnostic radiology facility, QC procedures may include the following: a.

6 Acceptance test and commissioning Acceptance test is performed on new equipment to demonstrate that it is performing within the manufacturer s specifications and criteria. Commissioning is the process of acquiring all the data from equipment that is required to make it clinically useable in a specific department. This commissioning test will give the baseline values for the QC procedures. b. Constancy tests are performed at specific intervals to check on the performance of some key parameters. The frequencies reported for the Control of constancy may be with a tolerance of 30 days. c. Status tests are normally performed with full testing at longer periods, annually. d. Performance tests are specific tests performed on an X-Ray system after a pre-determined period of time. e. Verification of radiation protection (RP) and QC equipment and material.

7 F. Follow up of necessary corrective actions taken in response from previous results of QC procedures. This is important because simply performing QC measurements without documentation of corrective actions and a follow ups are not sufficient. On the other hand, Quality administration procedures are those management actions intended to guarantee that monitoring techniques are properly performed and evaluated and that necessary corrective measures are taken in response to monitoring results. These procedures provide the organizational framework for the Quality assurance programme. A diagnostic radiology facility as used in this sense refers to any facility in which an X-Ray system(s) is used in any procedure that involves irradiation of any part of the human or animal body for the purpose of diagnosis or visualization.

8 Wo r l d S c i e n t i f i c N e w s 90 (2017) 11-30 -13- 1. 1. PRINCIPLE OF A Quality Control PROGRAM Figure 1. QC of General X-Ray Machine . 2. X-Ray PRODUCTION 2. 1. PRODUCTION OF X-Ray X- rays for medical diagnostic procedures or for research purposes are produced in a standard way: by accelerating electrons with a high voltage and allowing them to collide with a metal target. X- rays are produced when the electrons are suddenly decelerated upon collision with the metal target; these X- rays are commonly called brehmsstrahlung or "braking radiation". If the bombarding electrons have sufficient energy, they can knock an electron out of an inner shell of the target metal atoms. The electrons from higher states are drop down to fill the vacancy, by emitting X-Ray photons with precise energies determined by the electron energy levels.

9 These X- rays are called characteristic X- rays . Yes Equipment Purchasing Installation of Equipment Rectify Quality Constancy Test Equipment in Use Acceptance Limit Complied with No Wo r l d S c i e n t i f i c N e w s 90 (2017) 11-30 -14- Figure 2. Production of X- rays . 2. 2. COMPONENTSOF X-Ray TUBE The basic components of an X-Ray tube are: a. A sealed glass tube envelope is made of glass or metal-ceramic having high melting point to withstand the intense heat generated at the anode. A high vacuum environment for the tube elements is necessary; to prevent oxidation of the electrode materials, to permit ready passage of the electron beam without ionization of gas within the tube, to provide electrical insulation between the electrodes. b. A source of electrons heated tungsten filament (cathode).

10 C. A metal target (anode). 2. 2. 1. DESIGN CONSIDARATIONS FOR EQUIPMENT Focal spot size is as small as possible to produce sharp image. The major parameter for image Quality is the dimension of the focal spot. A small focal spot size is used to obtain X-Ray image with minimum blur. Small focal spot tends to concentrates heat and gives load on focal spot area. If the quantity of heat delivered during an individual exposure exceeds the track capacity, the anode surface can melt. Appropriate material, area and angulations of the anode are required to produce X-Ray efficiently. Choose of rotating and stationary anodes to avoid excessive heat production. Efficient heat dissipation system is required to cool the target. Sufficient filament current is required to minimize exposure times.