Routine quality assurance of high frequency ultrasound breast scanners in a screening context

The use of frequencies above 5 MHz for medical imaging is now commonplace and one example is in the context of routine breast screening. No satisfactory quality assurance (QA) procedures have been agreed for these systems hitherto but it is clear that techniques developed for lower frequencies are not necessarily relevant. The National Breast Screening Programme therefore commissioned the production of a new protocol for this purpose and this is described here. The work is divided between an experienced tester, equipped with a commercial test object (RMI 414B) and the routine user who is provided with a specified perspex block to provide routine measurements of certain parameters in a relative manner.