Quality Control in Ultrasound

Question 1

In terms of quality control assessment, what recognizes flaws in the process?

Answer 1

Quality assurance

Question 2

What is quality control?

Answer 2

Procedure that is intended to ensure that a manufactured product adheres to a set of criteria

Question 3

What type of process is quality assurance?

Answer 3

Proactive

Question 4

When is acceptance testing performed?

Answer 4

After purchase but before clinical use

Question 5

Why are quality assurance programs established?

Answer 5

To assure attainment of intended quality

Question 6

How often is quality control tested?

Answer 6

Annually

Question 7

What is the QA and QC lifecycle?

Answer 7

1. Acceptance testing
2. Quality assurance program
3. Daily and annual quality control

Question 8

Does QA or QC come first?

Answer 8

Quality assurance must be complete before quality control

Question 9

Who is involved with acceptance testing?

Answer 9

1. Biomedical engineer
2. Manufacturer

Question 10

Who is involved in quality assurance program?

Answer 10

1. Biomedical engineer
2. Management
3. Technologists

Question 11

Who is involved in daily quality control?

Answer 11

Technologists

Question 12

Who is involved in annual quality control?

Answer 12

1. Biomedical engineering
2. Technologists

Question 13

What are Tissue Phantoms made of?

Answer 13

Graphite-filled aqueous gels

Question 14

What do graphite particles act as in the tissue phantom?

Answer 14

Ultrasound scatterers or echo producers

Question 15

T or F: test objects in the tissue phantom simulate tissue characteristics?

Answer 15

False: test objects DO NOT simulate tissue characteristics but do provide some specific measurement of instrument performance

Question 16

Test objects contain what two things to allow evaluation of what two things?

Answer 16

They contain nylon lines and scattering layers to allow evaluation of detail resolution and beam profiles

Question 17

Doppler test objects use what for scattering the ultrasound?

Answer 17

Solid moving object (usually a string)

Question 18

What is used to measure acoustic output?

Answer 18

Hydrophone or microprobe

Question 19

Needle and membrane hydrophones are used to measure what?

Answer 19

Pressure amplitude and period

Question 20

Acoustic pressure output level from highest to lowest

Answer 20

1. Pulsed spectral doppler (highest)
2. M-mode and colour
3. Anatomic (lowest)

Question 21

What does uniformity testing for phantoms test for?

Answer 21

Crystal functioning

Question 22

What do tissue equivalent phantoms contain in order to measure detail resolution and distance accuracy?

Answer 22

Echo free regions
Thin nylon lines

Question 23

Tissue phantoms measure what two things?

Answer 23

Detail resolution
Distance accuracy

Question 24

Test objects in tissue phantoms evaluate what?

Answer 24

Beam profiles
Detail resolution

Question 25

True or False: Test objects do not simulate tissue properties whereas tissue phantoms do?

Answer 25

True

Question 26

What uses a moving object such as string for the scattering of ultrasound?

Answer 26

Doppler test objects

Question 27

What is a hydrophone an example of?

Answer 27

An output measurement

Question 28

When is equipment testing performed?

Answer 28

Prior to clinical use

Question 29

What type of testing is known as the comparison of a measured distance to a known distance?

Answer 29

Geometric accuracy

Question 30

What type of test is used to determine the weakest echo signal detected? AKA the maximum visualization depth?

Answer 30

System sensitivity

Question 31

In what type of testing is both lateral and axial resolution assessed?

Answer 31

Spatial and contrast resolution

Question 32

When are daily QC checked?

Answer 32

1. At the start of the shift
2. After each patient