GUNDUA-HLANGANISA: COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS USING ASSEMBLING METHOD FOR IMAGERY

GUNDUA-HLANGANISA: COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS USING ASSEMBLING METHOD FOR IMAGERY

Quality criteria

General Tests
1. Indicators, mechanical and other safety checks & warm-up ( documented at least once every 3 months page )
2. Gonad shields, lead rubber aprons and gloves (3 monthly available and free from holes or cracks, visual check and if suspect perform an x-ray test)
3. Appropriate technique chart displayed at x-ray unit (6 monthly available, applicable and compliant with ALARA principle)
X-ray Tubes and Generators
1.  Alignment of the centre of the x-ray field and the centre of the bucky  
2.  The x-ray field dimensions in the plane of the image receptor must
correspond with those indicated by the beam-limiting device
3. Congruence between the x-ray field and light field
4. X-ray/light beam centring
5. Alignment and collimation to film changer/bucky
6. Accuracy of the source (focal spot)-to-image distance (SID) indicators
7. Brightness of the light field, which defines the x-ray field
8. Radiation output: repeatability
9. The accuracy of the timer for different settings
10. The accuracy of the kV for different settings
11. Beam quality (half value layer (HVL))
12. Leakage radiation from the diagnostic source assembly (x-ray tube)
Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) Device
1.Constancy (reproducibility) (test all chambers) 
Processor Monitoring Tests
1. Processing temperature, Base + Fog (B+F), Mid-density (MD) step (speed index), and Density difference (DD) (contrast index)
Intensifying Screens and Darkroom
1.Cleanliness of darkroom and screens, written protocol for maintaining darkroom cleanliness, cassettes and screens clean, free from blemishes
2.Condition of cassettes and screens
3.Darkroom fog acceptance
4.Relative speed of intensifying screens
CR Reader test
1. Detector dose indicator monitoring (exposure index monitoring)
2. Image uniformity
3. Condition of cassettes and image plates
Film viewing test
Film viewer condition - perceived brightness, colours and must be clean and uniformly illuminated
Image Display Monitor & Reporting Monitor tests
1. Condition of Image Display Monitor , Condition of Reporting Monitor
2.Distance and angle calibration (Comment: This test is intended for applications where measurements of distance and angle are performed using image display monitor & diagnostic workstation) (accepted standards ± 5 mm ± 3˚ (degrees)) 
Reject analysis - Digital: Software testing
Fixed fluoroscopic x-ray units must be equipped with a Dose Area Product (DAP) meter or a device that provide a dose read-out during fluoroscopy.
Radiation warning light at entrance, excluding theatres.
Dose rate reproducibility under automatic exposure control (baseline 25% (use water container filled with water – approximately 30 cm x 30cm wide and 20cm thick)