Chapter 22 Quality Assurance Flashcards
What is quality assurance?
routine, periodic evaluation of an ultrasound system to guarantee optimal image quality
Who is responsible for implementing a quality assurance plan?
the sonographer
What are the 4 requirements of a quality assurance program?
- assessment of system components
- repairs
- preventive maintenance
- record keeping
What are the goals of a quality assurance program?
- guarantee proper operation of the system
- detect gradual changes
- minimize downtime
- reduce the number of non-diagnostic exams
- reduce the number of repeat scans
what are the three Quality assurance devices?
- tissue equivalent phantom
- doppler phantom
- beam profile/ slice thickness phantom
What are the methods of quality assurance?
- test under known, defined conditions
- use constant instrument settings
- use phantom with measurable characteristics]
- image in an identical environment
What type of information is unbiased, factual, repeatable, and able to be counted; information will be the same even from different people?
Objective standards
What type of information is affected by opinion, belief, or assumption and will vary from person to person?
Subjective standards
All Quality assurance programs should be based on what standards?
Objective standard
What has features similar to soft tissue, is used to evaluate characteristics such as gray scale, tissue texture, multi-focus and adjustable- focus phased array transducers?
tissue equivalent phantom
How are tissue equivalent phantoms similar to soft tissue?
- speed of sound (1,540 m/s)
- attenuation
- scattering characteristics
- echogenicity
How is the gray scale evaluated in a tissue equivalent phantom?
the phantom contains structures that mimic hollow cysts and solid masses
What is the device of choice to evaluate Doppler systems?
Flow Phantoms
name the types of Doppler phantoms
- Vibrating strings
- moving belt
- flow phantom
What modalities are assessed by a Doppler phantom?
- pulsed wave doppler
- Continuous wave
- Color
- Power mode
Slice thickness determines______
Elevational resolution
What assesses the slice thickness and its effect on image accuracy, contains a diffuse scattering plane and measures the beam perpendicular to imaging plane?
Slice thickness phantom
What slices diminish spatial resolution and reduce the ability to visualilze small, low contrast reflectors and cystic structures may appear filled?
Thicker slices
What is the ability of the system to display low level echoes?
Sensitivity
What are the two forms of sensitivity?
- normal
- maximum
What is normal sensitivity?
All pins, solid masses, and cystic structures are accurately displayed
TGC and gain are adjusted to establish normal sensitivity