Initial experience on the application of quantitative tests for ultrasound quality control in Mexican hospitals

Ultrasound is one of the most widely used medical imaging modalities. In Mexico there are official norms that regulate the use of diagnostic ultrasound; however, these guidelines do not specify the type of tests that must be performed to evaluate the optimal and constant performance of ultrasound equipment. Based on protocols from international organizations, a quality control manual was developed to evaluate the following characteristics: mechanical integrity, image uniformity, maximum penetration depth, distance measurement precision, spatial resolution, and dead zone. Subsequently, 4 GE Voluson Ultrasound Systems equipment were evaluated with 12 transducers of different geometries, from a third-level hospital in Mexico City. In total, 11 failures were found during the mechanical inspection, 1 in the uniformity test, 4 in the distance accuracy evaluation, 3 in the spatial resolution test, and 6 in the dead zone test. The results of this work demonstrated that quantitative methods provide information that is related to physical characteristics, which can contribute to reduce subjectivity in the performance of quality control tests of diagnostic ultrasound equipment. Also demonstrates the importance of the routine application of a quality control protocol.