A quality control programme for medical X-ray films in India

Abstract

Medical X-ray films are continued to be the major image receptors in diagnostic radiology in India. About 9×10⁶ m² of medical X-ray films are used per annum for diagnostic imaging in India, and its magnitude may further increase as the number of diagnostic X-ray units is increasing rapidly. A national quality control programme was initiated for testing the medical X-ray films of various suppliers/manufacturers so that optimum quality film can only be used in diagnostic radiography examinations. X-ray laboratory of Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre was recognised as national film testing laboratory. A dedicated test phantom was fabricated as per the prescription of International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9236-I, 1996), simulating the attenuation and scatter properties of chest of an average patient for periodic X-ray sensitometric evaluations of the medical X-ray films. The basic fog, speed, latitude, maximum optical density, uniformity and artefacts of all the films tested so far were found well within the requirements specified in the national standards. The average gradient for a few blue and green sensitive films were found less than the specified value. Suppliers/manufacturers of such films were advised to improve the performance quality of their films.