Selvan C Senthamil, Sureka C S
Department of Medical Physics, School of Physical Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
J Med Phys. 2017 Jul-Sep;42(3):181-190. doi: 10.4103/jmp.JMP_69_16.
To ensure the safe operation of mammography units, acceptance tests and quality assurance (QA) protocols have been developed by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), Engineers Registration Board, and International Atomic Energy Agency. Eight mammography units manufactured by five different manufacturers located in hospitals in our region were investigated following the AAPM and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) protocols using a solid-state dosimeter-based PTW-NOMEX Multimeter and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor. This study evaluated different operating parameters through mechanical test, accelerating voltage (kVp) accuracy test, machine output measurement, half-value layer measurement, calibration of compression device, image quality assessment, measurement of leakage radiation, radiation survey, and average glandular dose (AGD) measurements using stereotactic needle biopsy phantom. The results show that out of eight mammography units, only a single mammography unit (U-1) passed all QA tests and 2 units passed 7 tests, 2 units passed 6 tests, and 3 units passed 5 tests out of 8 QA tests. In unit 5, the AGD value was 4 and 1.93 mGy before and after service, respectively. QA programs as recommended by AAPM and AERB should be carried out periodically to ensure safety in breast cancer screening. This work points to the importance of the regulation and effective compliance and also help in both improving the QA and reduce the glandular dose received by the patients.
为确保乳腺摄影设备的安全运行，美国医学物理学家协会（AAPM）、工程师注册委员会和国际原子能机构制定了验收测试和质量保证（QA）协议。使用基于固态剂量计的PTW-NOMEX万用表和金属氧化物半导体场效应晶体管，按照AAPM和原子能监管委员会（AERB）的协议，对我们地区医院中由五个不同制造商生产的八台乳腺摄影设备进行了调查。本研究通过机械测试、加速电压（kVp）精度测试、机器输出测量、半价层测量、压缩装置校准、图像质量评估、泄漏辐射测量、辐射监测以及使用立体定向针活检体模进行平均腺体剂量（AGD）测量等方式，评估了不同的运行参数。结果显示，在八台乳腺摄影设备中，只有一台乳腺摄影设备（U-1）通过了所有QA测试，两台设备通过了7项测试，两台设备通过了6项测试，三台设备在8项QA测试中通过了5项测试。在设备5中，维修前后的AGD值分别为4 mGy和1.93 mGy。应定期开展AAPM和AERB推荐的QA程序，以确保乳腺癌筛查的安全性。这项工作指出了监管和有效合规的重要性，同时也有助于提高QA水平并降低患者所接受的腺体剂量。
