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Calibration of kVp Meters used in Quality Control Tests in

Diagnostic Radiology by Spectrometry

Article  in  Radiation Protection Dosimetry · February 2002

DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.rpd.a006726 · Source: PubMed

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Radiation Protection Dosimetry TECHNICAL NOTE
Vol. 98, No. 3, pp. 343–346 (2002)
Nuclear Technology Publishing

CALIBRATION OF kVp METERS USED IN QUALITY CONTROL

TESTS IN DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY BY SPECTROMETRY
M. P. A. Potiens and L. V. E. Caldas
Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares
Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear/SP
C.P. 11049 – CEP 05422–970 – São Paulo – Brazil
Received July 17 2001, amended November 10 2001, accepted November 20 2001

Abstract — A non-invasive calibration methodology of quality control instruments for diagnostic radiology was established and
applied to different kinds of commercial kVp meters. The method uses the measurement of the spectrum endpoint as a reference.
The results showed a variation of 10% between the responses of the instruments calibrated and the spectrometric system, a fact
that demonstrates the need for instrument calibration.

INTRODUCTION dard radiation qualities at the diagnostic radiology level

were established to test and calibrate instruments (10,11).
The aim of a quality control programme for
The portable gamma and X ray Intertechnique
diagnostic X ray units is to obtain adequate diagnostic
spectrometer system consists of a planar hyper-pure
information at acceptable levels of patient dose. In
germanium (HPGe) ⌺urisys Mesures detector (16 mm
recent years many studies have been performed to spec-
diameter, 13 mm thickness) connected to a 5 litre dewar
ify standards of performance of equipment used in diag-
vessel, a spectroscopy amplifier with pile-up rejection,
nostic radiology (1–5). The instruments used in quality
a multichannel analyser with ultra fast ADC power
control programmes for diagnostic radiology systems
supply, a high voltage supply in a mini rack, and a note-
usually measure, during only one radiation pulse, the
book with the spectrometry software. The spectrometer
peak kilovoltage (kVp) and the air kerma or air kerma
was calibrated at the peak maximum of the measured
rate, besides the possibility of checking the current lin-
spectra of an 241Am source with emission peaks at
earity. Variation in peak kilovoltage results in variation
59.537 keV (␥ rays) and 17.611 keV (X rays). The
in beam penetration, patient dose and radiographic
measurements were taken between 50 and 100 kVp. To
image modification; therefore its correct verification is
reduce the pile-up effect, aluminium filters with thick-
an important quality assurance issue in diagnostic
nesses from 4 to 30 mmAl were used.
radiology (6–8). Considering that the high voltage peak is
A Medicor Mövek Röntgengyara X ray generator,
an important measurable quantity and that about 25% of
model Neo-Diagnomax (125 kV) was used in the
instruments used for routine measurements may require
fluoroscopy mode. The air kerma rates were determined
some adjustments (9), the calibration of this kind of
instrument is essential. The method mostly used to cali-
Table 1. Irradiation conditions for the tube voltage peak
brate these instruments is by applying a voltage divider, determination of the Neo-Diagnomax X radiation machine,
which is an invasive method that may damage the X using the spectrometric HPGe detector system.
ray unit.
The objective of this work was to establish a non- Tube voltage Additional filtration Current
invasive method to calibrate kVp meters using results (kV) (mmAl) (mA)
obtained by the measurements of spectra endpoints with
a portable gamma and X ray spectrometer system. 50 4 0.5
4.0
MATERIALS AND METHODS 60 10 0.5
4.8
Since 1980 the Calibration Laboratory of IPEN has 70 16 0.5
maintained reference standards to air kerma measure- 4.5
ments for calibration of instruments used at radiation 80 21 0.5
protection and radiation therapy levels. Recently stan- 5.0
90 26 0.5
5.0
100 30 0.5
5.0
Contact author E-mail: lcaldas얀net.ipen.br

343
 M. P. A. POTIENS and L. V. E. CALDAS
using a standard ionisation chamber traceable to the
15 50kV— 0.5mA
20 German Primary Dosimetry Laboratory, Physikalisch-
50kV— 4.0mA
15 Technische Bundesanstalt. This chamber is a 1.0 cm3
10
10
parallel plate chamber, and it was connected to a Physi-
5 kalisch-Technische Werkstätten electrometer type
43.13 kVp 5 42.56 kVp
UNIDOS 10001.
00 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
00 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 The irradiation conditions of the HPGe detector for
Counts per minute (¥102cpm)

Energy (keV) Energy (keV) each nominal tube voltage (kVp) of the machine panel
5 60kV— 0.5mA 14 are shown in Table 1. The measurements were taken
60kV— 4.8mA
12 with the lowest and the highest possible current values.
4 10
3 8 As an application of the established method, two
2 6 commercial kVp meters and one invasive meter which
52.01 kVp 4 50.86 kVp
1 2 are often used for quality control measurements were
0 00 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
tested. Their main characteristics are listed in Table 2.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Energy (keV) Energy (keV)
14
4 70kV— 0.5mA 70kV— 4.5mA
12
3 10
8 Table 4. Peak kilovoltage values obtained for the Neo-
2 6 61.74 kVp Diagnomax radiation system, using the spectrometric HPGe
62.89 kVp
1 4 detector system.
2
00 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Energy (keV) Energy (keV) Tube voltage (kVp) Current Variation*
(mA) (%)
Machine panel Spectrometer
Figure 1. Spectra for 50, 60 and 70 kV X rays obtained at the
Neo-Diagnomax diagnostic radiology system.
50 43.13 0.5 13.7
42.56 4.0 14.9
60 52.01 0.5 13.3
Table 2. Main characteristics of the kVp meters tested in 50.86 4.8 15.2
this work. 70 62.89 0.5 11.4
61.74 4.5 13.0
80 70.33 0.5 12.1
Identification Instrument Model Type 69.19 5.0 13.5
90 80.07 0.5 11.0
A Victoreen NERO 6000M Non-invasive 79.78 5.0 11.4
B Radcal Dynalizer III Invasive 100 89.80 0.5 10.2
C Gammex RMI 242 Non-invasive 88.66 5.0 11.3

*All cases are lower than those indicated in the machine panel.

Table 3. Diagnostic radiology qualities established at the Calibration Laboratory of IPEN.

Radiation Tube voltage Total filtration Half-value layer Effective energy Air kerma rate
quality (kV) (mmAl) (mmAl) (keV) (mGy.min−1)

RQR 3 52 2.5 1.82 32.0 5.06

RQR 5 70 2.5 2.45 39.2 6.59
RQR 7 90 2.5 3.10 46.0 6.92
RQA 3 52 12.5 4.0 38.8 0.363
RQA 4 63 18.5 5.7 45.6 0.309
RQA 5 70 23.5 7.1 51.8 0.256
RQA 6 80 29.5 8.4 57.9 0.200
RQA 7 90 32.5 9.1 62.9 0.481

RQR: Radiation qualities of beams emerging from the tube assembly.

RQA: Radiation qualities based on a phantom made up of an aluminium added filter.

344
 CALIBRATION OF QUALITY CONTROL INSTRUMENTS
RESULTS 1.3%. Table 4 shows the peak kilovoltage values (kVp)
obtained by spectrometry.
The standard radiation qualities were established fol- To test the established methodology, three not pre-
lowing the standard IEC 1267 (12), and they are listed in viously calibrated kVp meters described in Table 3 were
Table 3. calibrated. The invasive instrument B was connected to
The spectra obtained for each tube voltage value are the Neo-Diagnomax X ray set. The instruments A and
presented in Figures 1 and 2. The spectral measurements C were positioned at the same distance from the X ray
were taken at the distance of 2.00 m. The peak tube tube, used to calibrate diagnostic radiology dosemeters,
voltage values were obtained by the intersection with 50 cm. All instruments had not been previously cali-
the X axis of the adjusted line at the end of the spectra, brated. The lowest current (0.5 mA) was chosen as
as indicated in the figures, and they are in all cases about reference because of the difficulty of keeping the highest
10 kV less than the nominal values. It can be observed value of the current on the panel machine constant. The
that the tube voltage decreases as the current value values obtained are presented in Table 5. The instrument
increases. In the case of 60 kV, the variation is 2%, C responds only above 60 kV. The instrument B shows
while for higher voltage values, this variation is only the best performance, with only 2.7% of maximum vari-

4 16

Counts per minute (¥102cpm)

Counts per minute (¥102cpm)

80kV— 0.5mA 80kV— 5mA

14
3 12
10
2 8
6
69.19 kVp
1 70.33 kVp 4
2
0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Energy (keV) Energy (keV)

5 90kV— 0.5mA 90kV— 5mA

Counts per minute (¥102cpm)

Counts per minute (¥102cpm)

20

4
15
3
10
2
79.8 kVp
80.07 kVp 5
1

0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Energy (keV) Energy (keV)

5 100kV— 0.5mA 40
Counts per minute (¥102cpm)

Counts per minute (¥102cpm)

100kV— 5mA
4
30
3
20
2
89.8 kVp 88.66 kVp
1 10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Energy (keV)
Energy (keV)

Figure 2. Spectra for 80, 90 and 100 kV X rays obtained at the Neo-Diagnomax diagnostic radiology system.

345
 M. P. A. POTIENS and L. V. E. CALDAS
ation. The other instruments are in error up to about Fundaço de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
10% as compared with the spectrometer results. The (FAPESP) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento
maximum standard deviation was 1.3% in all cases. Cientı́fico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Brazil.

CONCLUSIONS Table 5. Tube voltage values obtained using the tested kVp
meters in the diagnostic radiology system, using as
The spectrometric measurements always make the field reference the spectrometric HPGe detector system.
characteristics reliable. Their use as a reference system for
calibration of kVp meters is satisfactory. The results show Spectrometer A B C
a difference of 10% between the responses of the commer- system (kV) (kV) (kV)
cial kVp meters being calibrated and those obtained by the (kV)
spectrometer; this fact demonstrates the need for cali-
bration of this kind of instrument. 43.1 39.2 43.0 –
52.0 47.4 53.4 –
62.9 59.0 62.2 63.5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 70.3 67.1 69.9 66.1
80.1 78.6 80.2 72.9
The authors acknowledge the partial financial support 89.8 89.4 91.0 80.6
of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),

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