Quality Control in Ultrasound Flashcards
In terms of quality control assessment, what recognizes flaws in the process?
Quality assurance
What is quality control?
Procedure that is intended to ensure that a manufactured product adheres to a set of criteria
What type of process is quality assurance?
Proactive
When is acceptance testing performed?
After purchase but before clinical use
Why are quality assurance programs established?
To assure attainment of intended quality
How often is quality control tested?
Annually
What is the QA and QC lifecycle?
- Acceptance testing
- Quality assurance program
- Daily and annual quality control
Does QA or QC come first?
Quality assurance must be complete before quality control
Who is involved with acceptance testing?
- Biomedical engineer
- Manufacturer
Who is involved in quality assurance program?
- Biomedical engineer
- Management
- Technologists
Who is involved in daily quality control?
Technologists
Who is involved in annual quality control?
- Biomedical engineering
- Technologists
What are Tissue Phantoms made of?
Graphite-filled aqueous gels
What do graphite particles act as in the tissue phantom?
Ultrasound scatterers or echo producers
T or F: test objects in the tissue phantom simulate tissue characteristics?
False: test objects DO NOT simulate tissue characteristics but do provide some specific measurement of instrument performance
Test objects contain what two things to allow evaluation of what two things?
They contain nylon lines and scattering layers to allow evaluation of detail resolution and beam profiles
Doppler test objects use what for scattering the ultrasound?
Solid moving object (usually a string)
What is used to measure acoustic output?
Hydrophone or microprobe
Needle and membrane hydrophones are used to measure what?
Pressure amplitude and period
Acoustic pressure output level from highest to lowest
- Pulsed spectral doppler (highest)
- M-mode and colour
- Anatomic (lowest)
What does uniformity testing for phantoms test for?
Crystal functioning
What do tissue equivalent phantoms contain in order to measure detail resolution and distance accuracy?
Echo free regions
Thin nylon lines
Tissue phantoms measure what two things?
Detail resolution
Distance accuracy
Test objects in tissue phantoms evaluate what?
Beam profiles
Detail resolution
True or False: Test objects do not simulate tissue properties whereas tissue phantoms do?
True
What uses a moving object such as string for the scattering of ultrasound?
Doppler test objects
What is a hydrophone an example of?
An output measurement
When is equipment testing performed?
Prior to clinical use
What type of testing is known as the comparison of a measured distance to a known distance?
Geometric accuracy
What type of test is used to determine the weakest echo signal detected? AKA the maximum visualization depth?
System sensitivity
In what type of testing is both lateral and axial resolution assessed?
Spatial and contrast resolution
When are daily QC checked?
- At the start of the shift
- After each patient
