Quality Assurance Flashcards

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1
Q

What is quality assurance?

A

A program that ensures proper and consistent operation of the imaging systems

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2
Q

What does QA assure? 7

A
  1. Proper equipment operation
  2. Detection of degradation of performance
  3. Minimizes machine down time
  4. Minimizes repeat examinations
  5. Sonographer and patient safety
  6. Cost efficiency
  7. Maintains standards
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3
Q

Who are the three main people responsible for QA?

A
  1. Physician
  2. Sonographer
  3. Service
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4
Q

Who is the director of the QA program?

A

The physician

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5
Q

What is the responsibility of the rad?

A

To assess images for overall quality

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6
Q

What does the sonographer do in terms of QA? 3

A
  1. Assess the image quality
  2. Routine testing and record keeping
  3. Routine maintenance, such as cleaning filters and visual inspections
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7
Q

Routine preventative maintenance may include what? 5

A
  1. Cleaning surfaces
  2. Cleaning recording devices
  3. Cleaning fan filters
  4. Assessing cable and transducer integrity
  5. Film/ image recording quality
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8
Q

What are the two types of service personnel?

A
  1. The manufacturer
  2. The biomedical personnel
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9
Q

What does the manufacture do in the QA program?

A

Provide routine preventative maintenance and repair equipment as needed

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10
Q

What does the biomedical personnel do in the quality assurance program?

A

Acceptance testing when a machine arrives on site to ensure patient and employee safety

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11
Q

What does acceptance testing involve?

A

Sophisticated testing done before systems are placed into operation

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12
Q

What is tested in acceptance testing?

A

Imaging performance and power output are measured and the system is checked to see that it will work with ancillary equipment in the department

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13
Q

What is routine testing all about?

A

Measuring image performance and assessing over time

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14
Q

When is routine testing done on a tissue equivalent phantom? And what is tested? 3

A

On a regular schedule a tissue phantom is used to assess things like

  1. Resolution
  2. Sensitivity
  3. Accuracy
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15
Q

A key component of a good QA program is what?

A

Record keeping

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16
Q

What is the schedule like for QA?

A

Always performed on a regular schedule dependent on the task

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17
Q

When is routine maintenance done by a sonographer?

A

Daily, weekly, monthly

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18
Q

How often does manufactures perform QA?

A

2-3 times per year while the machine is under warranty or a service contract

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19
Q

Routine testing is typically done when?

A

On a yearly basis

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20
Q

What is the AIUM 100?

A

An older testing device in which a plastic case contains 0.75 mm steel rods arrange din groups and filled with water, alcohol, and algaecide

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21
Q

What is an advantage and disadvantage of AIUM 100?

A

+ They are relatively inexpensive
- They have no greyscale therefore no attenuation

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22
Q

What is a tissue equivalent phantom?

A

A structure that contains one or more materials that simulate a body of tissue in its interaction with ultrasound

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23
Q

Phantoms consist of what? 4

A
  1. Plastic case
  2. Gel mixed with graphite powder
  3. Rod groups
  4. Solid and cystic lesions
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24
Q

What are some advantages of phantoms? 4

A
  1. Better approximation of clinical performance
  2. Allow for greyscale,
  3. Attenuation
  4. Speed of sound
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25
Q

What is an disadvantage of phantoms?

A

They are more expensive

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26
Q

The TE phantoms films are made of what?

A

Thin films made of saran or polyurethane

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27
Q

The TE phantom containers are made of what? 3

A
  1. ABS
  2. PVC
  3. Acrylic
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28
Q

A good phantom must have the following characteristic similar to soft tissue, what are they? 5

A
  1. Attenuation coefficient
  2. Speed of sound
  3. Backscatter coefficient/ Relative contrast
  4. Elasticity
  5. Thermal properties
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29
Q

Phantoms can test for what things? 6

A
  1. Dead zone measurement
  2. Detailed resolution
  3. Distance accuracy
  4. Image uniformity
  5. Depth of penetration
  6. Cyst imaging capabilities
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30
Q

What is dead zone?

A

The area in the near field close to the transducer

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31
Q

What is another name for dead zone?

A

Main bang

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32
Q

What is the size of dead zone with old mechanical probes?

A

It can be quite large

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33
Q

What is the technique for imaging dead zone pins?

A

Imaging the dead zone pins and observing changes over time

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34
Q

What is acceptable in terms of dead zone difference?

A

Less than 15 mm of change is acceptable over time

35
Q

In terms of axial resolution the phantom can be used to test what?

A

Test the systems abilities to separate interfaces along the path of the beam

36
Q

What is the technique for testing axial resolution?

A

Measuring the smallest separating visible between the axial resolution pins at various depths, and watching for changes over time

37
Q

What does this test for?

A

Dead zone

38
Q

In terms of lateral resolution how does the test for this?

A

The phantom can be used to test the systems ability to separate interfaces across the beam

39
Q

What does this test?

A

Axial resolution

40
Q

What is the technique required to measure lateral resolution?

A

Measuring the lateral resolution pins and is dependant on the depth and focus, watch for changes over time

41
Q

What is tested here?

A

Lateral resolution

point spreading

42
Q

Elevational resolution is also known as what?

A

Slice thickness and z axis

43
Q

What is the technique to measures elevational resolution?

A

This one is different form others and for a quantitative assessment a different phantom is used.

44
Q

What is the phantom used for elevational resolution?

A

A spherical void phantom or beam profile phantom will yield specific measurements

45
Q

What does this test?

A

Elevational resolution

46
Q

Both horizontal and vertical distance accuracy can be measured using what? What does this technique involve?

A
  1. Appropriate pins
  2. Measuring pins at known distance calliper s and comparing the numbers
47
Q

In terms of distance accuracy, it is important to do what?

A

Measure over larger distances to detect smaller margins of error

48
Q

TGC characteristic test is what kind of test?

A

A user specific test where the results are based on observations of the individual performing the test

49
Q

When doing a TGC characteristics test, images may be captured with what?

A

Different slide pod configurations under different conditions and compared over time

50
Q

Image uniformity tests, test what?

A

Linear arrays consistency along the array

51
Q

What does image uniformity looks like?

A

Inhomogenous regions or areas of non uniforming

52
Q

What test does this demonstrate?

A

Image uniformity

53
Q

Sensitivity tests a system ability to detect what?

A

Weak echoes

54
Q

What is a common technique for sensitivity known as?

A

Maximum depth of visualization

55
Q

In terms of sensitivity testing, what are adjusted?

A

Power and gain are optimized for penetration and the observer records the depth where the brightness starts to fade

56
Q

What does this test for?

A

Sensitivity

57
Q

In terms of dynamic range, one can measure what on the machine?

A

The number of shades of grey displayed on the machine

58
Q

What kind of test is dynamic range? What does it require?

A
  1. Subjective testing
  2. Good record keeping
59
Q

In terms of testing dynamic range, what do we do with the images?

A

Images are compared over time to appreciate change in the display

60
Q

What does contrast resolution measure?

A

The ability to distinguish between simulated lesions of similar echogenicity

61
Q

Contrast resolution allows for what?

A

A measurement of lesion detection where the system demonstrates the ability to detect small lesions with a variety of appearances

62
Q

What is the technique for contrast resolution testing?

A

Involves scanning, solid, cystic, echogenic, and hypoechoic lesions.

Images are compared to previous results

63
Q

What is registration?

A

A test for older static B scanners to ensure arm positioning is accurate for the reconstruction of an image

64
Q

What is the technique for registration testing?

A

Involves scanning pins from 3 sides to see if the lines intersect at one point

65
Q

What does this demonstrate?

A

Registration

66
Q

What are the benefits of Flow or TE tissue equivalent doppler phantoms?

A

They match the clinical experience but are expensive

67
Q

What are string phantoms?

A

They move a string or belt in a water bath and do not match the clinical experience and they are more affordable

68
Q

Doppler phantoms are used to measure what? 5

A
  1. Maximum depth
  2. Gate position accuracy
  3. Volume flow and velocity accuracy
  4. Colour flow penetration
  5. Image congruency test
69
Q

What dose this demonstrate?

A

Doppler phantoms

70
Q

What ares one applications of phantoms other than QA? 3

A
  1. Demonstration
  2. Training
  3. R and D
71
Q

What are specialty phantoms used for? 7

A
  1. Biopsy
  2. Mass
  3. 3D
  4. Cryosurgery
  5. Brachytherapy
  6. HIFU
  7. IVUS
72
Q

Some devices are used by who to do what?

A

They are used by service personnel or manufactures to evaluate the systems power output

73
Q

What is usually included with hydrophones? 4

A
  1. Plotter
  2. Spectrum analyzer
  3. OScilloscope
  4. Schieren system
74
Q

What are some outputs testing devices? 3

A
  1. Hydrophone
  2. Power (force) balancers
  3. Calorimeter
75
Q

What is a hydrophone?

A

A small (1mm) transducer that produces voltage proportional to the received acoustic pressure wave.

76
Q

When a hydrophone is used with a plotter it can do what?

A

Be moved throughout the sound field and produce a beam profile

77
Q

When a hydrophone is used with a oscilloscope it can measure what? 5

A
  1. SPL
  2. PD
  3. PRP
  4. PRF
  5. DF
78
Q

When a hydrophone is used with a spectrum analyzer it can measure what? 3

A
  1. Resonant “f”
  2. Bandwidth
  3. Q factor
79
Q

A force balance is used to measure what?

A

The acoustic power

80
Q

What is a force balance apparatus? What does it determine?

A

A sophisticated and sensitive micro balance that is phased in the sound field and calibrated to determine acoustic power and intensity

81
Q

What is this?

A

A hydrometer

82
Q

A calorimeter is essentially what?

A

A heat meter used to measure acoustic power

83
Q

How does calorimeters work?

A

An enclosed fluid container with a very sensitive thermocouple detects desperation changes and can determine acoustic power