QA Radchex Meter

The QA Radchex is a factory, X-ray-calibrated and PTB traceable meter that is used for manufacturers and custom Quality Assurance Programs. In addition, the instrument can be used to assess, calibrate, and balance CR plate readers throughout a department; the automatic exposure control (AEC) calibration, chamber balance, and density control settings; assess the operating speed of the CR system; and be used as a daily and long term indicator of the X-ray and CR system ‘drift’.
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QA Radchex Meter
  • The QA Radchex provides a reliable and reproducible method of accurately assessing and maintaining a CR Manufacturer’s specific plate reader factory calibration
  • Calibrates computed radiology (CR) plate readers and automatic exposure control (AEC)
  • Assesses ongoing performance of CR plate reader, AEC, and automatic programmed radiography (APR)
  • Sets and maintains desired clinical system speed (dose) of the CR systems
  • Links radiation exposure (mR) to the front of the plate accurately and predictably to a CR light measurement value (CRLU)
  • Provides 3 different tube-head filtration choices for users who desire a non-filtered beam condition for field plate reader calibration.
  • Ideal tool for Service Engineers, Physicists, and Quality Assurance personnel



​This meter comes with “data logging” Excel software so technologists can enter and “track” daily/weekly calibration “drift” of the AEC system, tube output, and plate reader. The “data logging software” allows Centralized Equipment Monitoring for an entire region for each of its radiology departments. This enables a regional system to take cost-effective, corrective action when equipment does not meet established calibration tolerance limits for ALARA principles. The size of the QA Radchex cassette is the same as a standard cassette and can be placed in the Bucky tray for ‘in-Bucky’ or ‘table-top’ measurements.

The QA Radchex has the same X-ray energy response as a CR system (x-ray-to-light conversion), so it can be used as an accurate and precise replacement for the plate reader’s light measurement value (exposure indicator value, S#, EI#, lgM#).


Applications
The QA Radchex is ideal for use by QA personnel to periodically check and document the performance of the CR system and to compare CR to film/screen systems to achieve desired ALARA objectives. The service and biomedical engineers can use the meter to initially calibrate and troubleshoot the CR plate reader, AEC, and density selector settings and chamber balance. Physicists can use the instrument to assess the performance of CR systems for compliance to clinical system speed objectives and patient dose.

QA Radchex is designed to work with all major brands of CR equipment.

Features
The QA Radchex is a simple, easy-to-use, and an inexpensive instrument that is self-contained and provides three values when exposed to x-rays: CRLU, which represents the plate reader light output from a CR imaging plate when exposed to x-rays (also represents the pixel values on the image); Exposure indicator values for all CR manufacturers (S#, EI#, LgM#) and Speed ( which represents the relative system speed at which the CR system is operating compared to a film/screen system). Once its ‘electronic’ cassette has been exposed to x-rays, the three values appear automatically on an LCD display on the front of the cassette.

A pressure sensitive On/Off switch activates the meter and is used to RESET the meter between exposures. The size of the electronic cassette is the same as a standard CR cassette (10” x 12”) and can be placed in the Bucky tray for ‘in-Bucky’ or ‘table-top’ measurements.

When used with the Fuji ‘FRC 1 Shot Phantom Plus’ Program, instead of a dosimeter, the calibrated and traceable CR Radchex insures that Fuji’s exposure requirements for constancy testing are met and is used to determine the relative sensitivity of the image plate reader.

Since the meter has the same energy response to x-rays as the imaging plate, the meter can take the place of the plate and reader when assessing the AEC system performance for thickness and kVp ‘tracking’, density selector settings, and chamber balance.


Specifications
X-ray energy dependence:



Digital range:

Minimum CRLU Rate: 

Maximum CRLU Rate:

Power On/Off:

Power requirements:

Typical battery life between charging:

Operating environment:

X-ray beam filter:

Electronic Cassette:

Weight:
 Simulates relative light output of Photostimulatable Phosphor Plate (PSP) within +/- 3% over kVp range of 60 kVp to 120 kVp and a patient equivalent thickness range of 5 cm to 35 cm (within specified operating rates)

Computed Radiography Light Units; CRLU 0 to 5000.0

7/sec (approx. 0.7 mR/sec entrance exposure rate)


25000/sec (approx. 2500 mR/sec entrance exposure rate)


Manual switch

Built-in NiMH rechargeable battery pack (9.6 V)



Greater then 20 hrs



15 degrees C to 35 degrees C (59 to 95 degrees F)

1.5 mm Copper (B152-110); 6” by 6” with Velcro straps to attach to x-ray tube collimator housing

Dimensions 10” x 12” x 0.5” (24 cm x 30 cm x 1.3 cm)

1.8 kg (3.9 lb)
Downloads

EXCEL TEMPLATES 
ZIP FOLDER, 112 KB

BROCHURE 
PDF, 1 PAGE, 604 KB

INSTRUCTION MANUAL 2014
PDF, 26 PAGES, 1.7 MB