Quality assurance of ultrasound imaging instruments by monitoring the monitor

Ultrasound quality assurance (QA) is a means of assuring the constant performance of an ultrasound instrument. A novel 'ultrasound image analyser' has been developed to allow objective, accurate and repeatable measurement of the image displayed on the ultrasound screen, i.e. as seen by the operators. The analyser uses a television camera/framestore combination to digitize and analyse this image. A QA scheme is described along with the procedures necessary to obtain a repeatable measurement of the image so that comparisons with earlier good images can be made. These include repositioning the camera and resetting the video display characteristics. The advantages of using the analyser over other methods are discussed. It is concluded that the analyser has distinct advantages over subjective image assessment methods and will be a valuable addition to current ultrasound QA programmes.