Research

Quality Assurance 4 medical UltraSound equipment

At the MUSIC group a measurement protocol has been developed and implemented in software for follow-up and performance measurements of ultrasound equipment. The software is named "Quality Assurance 4 UltraSound" (QA4US) and can be requested below (free of charge). QA4US is written and compiled in Matlab. QA4US only can be runned when corresponding Matlab Component Runtime (MCR) package is downloaded and installed too.

 

QA4US DOWNLOAD REQUEST

The software is available after sending a download This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., mentioning your name and affiliation in the body of the mail. You will receive the download link to the QA4US software ASAP. (latest update: 2023 Jan 10). Download and installation of the Matlab Component Runtime environment (Matlab 2021a ) are required to run the QA4US software, and can be downloaded here. The provided email adres only will be used to send you the download link and inform you about major updates and QA courses! '

COURSE: PRINCIPLES OF ULTRASOUND AND QA

MUSIC annually is organizing courses on "PRINCIPLES OF ULTRASOUND AND QA" currently no course is planned, but one can pre-register by sending an e-mail to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

QA4US III, (2023 Jan 10) version info

beta version QA4US III (Matlab 2021a) now is released. In this version several major updates are implemented, including the following:

• Back-scan conversion: improved functionality | speed upgrade | extended revisualization options
• Implementation of the generalized CNR (gCNR) parameter to overcome CNR variations by dynamic range alterations
• Added Signal/Noise switch (radiobuttons) to the analysis panel to reduce number of question dialogs popping up in UNIFORMITY and SENISITIVY modules
• UNIFORMITY module: limited outlier estimation of (curved) linear transducers to the central zone (mid 60%) of full sector width | Removed the yellowish -1.5dB warning level in the curve and indicatory plot.
• re-enabled the PW doppler module
• trend table update (including the gCNR parameter)
• several bug-fixes and performance upgrades.

 

Backgrounds

The quality assurance protocol and the algorithms used in the QA4US software are based on the ideas about quality assurance of imaging with medical ultrasound equipment as described in the below mentioned references.

In the new QA4US_II version, the user is able to perform all mentioned level 2 (semi-annual) & 3 (zero measurement) software tests, from the Guidelines as approved by the European federation of Societies for Ultrasound and Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB), published in Ultraschall in der Medizin/European Journal of Ultrasound¹.