The usefulness of X-ray output management in general radiography systems using exposure index

The periodic quality control of X-ray devices is important for obtaining optical medical images and determining the appropriate X-ray exposure dose. Additionally, the measurement of the X-ray output is constrained by time, technical aspects, and expenses. Therefore, we investigated the usefulness of a simple method for managing X-ray output using an Exposure Index (EI).

The entire surface of the flat panel detector was X-ray-irradiated every Friday at the time of end-of-work inspection under the condition that the recorded EI was approximately 1000. The EI and exposure dose were measured, and the linearity and accuracy were evaluated.

The output gradually decreased from the start of the measurements in Room 1 and stabilized after the output was adjusted. The relationship between exposure dose and EI showed high linearity, with R² > 0.99, and the CV of EI was less than 2.41%, indicating high reproducibility.

We demonstrated that the results of constancy tests can be easily quantified using EI. The EI method can manage the X-ray output with good reproducibility.