SoftCopy Display Quality Assurance Program at Texas Children's Hospital

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging Technology
• Radiology Quality Assurance

Background:

• Growing reliance on Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) necessitates robust workstation display quality assurance.
• No universally accepted PACS quality assurance program exists, though efforts like DICOM Working Group 11 and AAPM Task Group 18 are underway.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a quality assurance program for PACS workstation displays at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH).
• To collect data for determining optimal calibration frequency, monitor lifespan, and performance limits.

Main Methods:

• Monthly luminance measurements using Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) test patterns.
• Subjective evaluations of display sharpness, distortion, and artifacts.
• Vendor calibration every three months, including checks of display parameters and Grayscale Display Function (GSDF) Index.

Main Results:

• Data collection on individual monitor luminance functions is ongoing.
• Service calls are initiated when luminance deviates by more than 10% from arbitrary limits.
• Ongoing analysis of luminance drift, calibration frequency, and monitor lifespan.

Conclusions:

• Establishing a comprehensive QA program is vital for maintaining diagnostic image quality from soft-copy displays.
• Data-driven insights are essential for defining appropriate testing intervals and monitor performance standards.
• Continuous monitoring and calibration are key to ensuring the reliability and longevity of PACS displays.