Evaluation of Quality Control of the Gamma Cameras in Nuclear Medicine Departments in Khartoum State

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of image resolution and minimum frequency of quality control tests of the SPECT gamma camera at El-Neelain Medical Diagnostic Centre (NMDC) and Royal Care International Hospital (RCIH) in Khartoum State. This study has been carried out in the Nuclear Medicine Departments and the results were compared with the international guidelines. The study evaluates the following parameters: Spectrum energy, energy resolution, Spatial Resolution and Uniformity. All results that was obtained from the study have been compared with the acceptance limits with IAEA and NEMA -2001 standards. The results reveal that the energy resolution showed a central peak of the energy at 139 keV, 139.86 and 140.58 keV and the value of the energy resolution was 7.77%, 7.22% and 7.5% at NMDC and two heads for RCIH respectively. Also results showed that the spatial resolution test for RCIH was 4.38 mm 4.38 mm (FWHM in X&Y), and the intrinsic uniformity for differential and integral were in the accepted limits that established by NEMA-2001 for the two hospitals. The frequency of the quality control tests for gamma cameras in two the centers were as follows, the energy spectrum and center of rotation tests are within the acceptance limits with IAEA and NEMA -2001 standard, and other tests shows unacceptable frequencies. The considerable inter centers variation found in frequency can be explained by different machines and protocols selected according to the experience and the need for the work. The research concluded that the values of the results of the Gamma Cameras that were obtained from El-Neelain Medical Diagnostic Center (NMDC) and Royal Care International Hospital (RCIH) were close to the standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the National Electricals Manufacturing Association (NEMA).