Mammography: QC Study Guide Exam Q’s and A’s

Mammography: QC Study Guide Exam Q’s and A’s
What is quality control? - -The aspect of quality assurance that monitors technical
equipment.

-What QC exams are performed daily? - -Monitor cleaning
overhead lights
viewing conditions

-What exams are performed weekly or monthly? - -Flat field test
SMPTE
Phantom
CNR
SNR
MTF
Dynamic range
Visual check list (monthly)

-What exams are performed quarterly? - -Repeat analysis

-What QC exam is performed semiannually? - -Compression check

-Why is monitor cleaning performed and who performs it? - -Tech
To assure accurate viewing of images
Daily

-Why is calibration performed? - --Done to clean up the detector in a sense.
-Done mostly on units utilizing selenium plates.
-The detector temp must be noted before and after calibration, must be within range.
-Multiple images taken with an acrylic phantom at different techniques.
-This allows the array to reset itself to the initial parameters set.

-What is the purpose of the SMPTE test? - --This helps determine whether the contrast and
brightness settings of your monitor are acceptable.
-Checks the limitations in spatial resolution of your display.

-How does laser image testing work? - --A SMPTE test pattern is printed and the different
densities are measured by a densitometer.
-To ensure consistency of DICOM printer performance.
- Checks the communication between detector to the printer or detector to the monitor.

-What does SNR QC test for? - --Compares the signal power to the background noise.
-Increased noise means too much scatter reaching the detector.
-The goal is to obtain a high signal to noise ratio. if it is high, this means the signal is higher
compared to the background noise resulting in a better image.