The usefulness of X-ray output management in general radiography systems using exposure index.

Abstract

Purpose: The periodic quality control of X-ray devices is important for obtaining optical medical images and determining the appropriate X-ray exposure dose. Additionally, the measurement of the X-ray output is constrained by time, technical aspects, and expenses. Therefore, we investigated the usefulness of a simple method for managing X-ray output using an Exposure Index (EI).

Methods: The entire surface of the flat panel detector was X-ray-irradiated every Friday at the time of end-of-work inspection under the condition that the recorded EI was approximately 1000. The EI and exposure dose were measured, and the linearity and accuracy were evaluated.

Results: The output gradually decreased from the start of the measurements in Room 1 and stabilized after the output was adjusted. The relationship between exposure dose and EI showed high linearity, with R² > 0.99, and the CV of EI was less than 2.41%, indicating high reproducibility.

Conclusions: We demonstrated that the results of constancy tests can be easily quantified using EI. The EI method can manage the X-ray output with good reproducibility.