Abstract ID: 17526 Title: ACR Mammography QC in the Digital Era
Due to advances in technology, the regulation and testing of digital mammography systems has become
complicated. Not only does each mammographic x-ray unit model have its own test protocol, peripheral
equipment must also be tested according to manufacturer specifications. This plethora of testing
methodologies and requirements can cause much confusion for facilities and physicists. To ameliorate
the situation, the American College of Radiology has established a committee to specify a set of tests
applicable to all digital mammography systems that can be used uniformly to satisfy quality control and
regulatory requirements. A new mammography phantom is also being designed. As an update from the
2011 ACMP meeting, this talk will present the current thinking of the committee regarding tests to be
included in and excluded from the specification. Design elements of a prototype phantom will be
presented.
Learning objectives:
1. To understand the need for unified testing protocols for digital mammography systems.
2. To become aware of the status of the ACR QC Manual for digital mammography.
3. To learn the intent of the tests included in and left out of the proposed protocol.
4. To becom familiar with the current design of the proposed new ACR Mammography Phantom.