Calibration of KVp meter used in quality control tests of diagnostic X-ray units

In diagnostic radiology, the tube voltage [peak kilovoltage (kV(p))] is one of the most important parameter affecting both radiation exposure and image contrast. So, an accurate kV(p) meter is necessary to control kV(p) in the medical radiography practice with the overall uncertainty less than ± 5 % according to IEC 61676. Therefore, both invasive and non-invasive calibration methods of kV(p) meter were established and applied to different kinds of commercial quality control instruments for diagnostic radiology. Calibration of kV(p) meter by the invasive method is the most accurate (with uncertainty of 1.67 %, k=2); however, the non-invasive method also provides good results (with uncertainty of 3.12 %, k=2). Due to their detailed design, the commercial kV(p) meters have various responses with X-ray beam, so the working regime of a particular device type must be appropriately selected with a specific X-ray machine used for calibration of kV(p) meter.