A quality control test for electronic portal imaging devices

A quality control (QC) test suitable for routine daily use has been developed for video based electronic portal imaging devices. It provides an objective and quantitative test for acceptable image quality on the basis of the high contrast spatial resolution and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The test uses a phantom consisting of five sets of high-contrast rectangular bar patterns with spatial frequencies of 0.1, 0.2, 0.25, 0.4, and 0.75 1p/mm. Data obtained during a one month calibration period were used to determine a critical frequency f(c) for the relative square wave modulation transfer function and a critical contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR(c)). Subsequent measurements indicating significant deviations from these critical values result in warning messages to the operator indicating potential problems in system performance. Measurements over a period of two years show that the QC test provides a sensitive indication of imaging performance. (C) 1996 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.