RIO® Grande Physics Goal:
Is to assist our clients in establishing performance standards consistent with the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the American Association of Physicist in Medicine (AAPM) for Computed Tomography (CT) equipment to ensure high-quality diagnostic images are obtained and are consistent with the clinical use of the CT equipment.
Encourage our clients to achieve ACR accreditation for this unique and important imaging modality.Annual performance checks of your CT scanner system are performed on each unit to include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Alignment light accuracy
- Alignment of table to gantry
- Table/gantry tilt
- Slice localization from scanned projection radiograph (localization image)
- Table incrimination accuracy, vertical and horizontal
- Slice thickness
- Image quality
- High-contrast (spatial) resolution
- Low-contrast sensitivity/resolution
- Image uniformity
- Noise
- Artifact evaluation
- CT number accuracy and linearity
- Display devices
- Image display monitor(s)
- Hard-copy display unit(s), if available
- Dosimetry
- CT dose index (CTDI)
- Patient radiation dose for representative examinations
- Safety evaluation
- Visual inspection
- Work load assessment
- Scatter and stray radiation measurements
- Audible/visual signals
- Posting requirements
- Other tests as required by state and/or local authorities, and
- Review and evaluation of site technologists QC program.
Establishment of a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly Quality Control Program (QCP) for each CT unit. The frequency and performance of QCP testing based on the ACR and AAPM recommendations.
