Locally fabricated metal step wedge for quality assurance in diagnostic radiology

Abstract

The code of safe practice for the use of x-rays in medical diagnosis requires that each x-ray facility has an appropriate quality assurance program in radiation protection, to ensure accurate diagnosis, and to keep doses as low as reasonably achievable. This requires an in-house system of regular checks and procedures. This research has investigated and carried out some of these checks via the step wedge, fabricated by adopting the model of a standard aluminum wedge obtained from the
radiology department of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) using locally acquired metals. The wedges were exposed to x-rays and the optical densities of the processed films measured with a densitometer. The result indicates that standard equipment can be produced from locally sourced materials, as well as to investigate an alternative wedge material. The values of the both the local and standard aluminum wedges fall within range of the tolerance limit of +5% (Rehani, 1995).