TABLE 2

Summary of Recommendations for Routine QC of Clinical Nuclear Medicine Instrumentation

InstrumentAt installation or after repairAnnualQuarterly or monthlyWeeklyDaily
Survey meterAccuracyAccuracy**Battery check
Background
Constancy
Dose calibratorGeometry (volume)- dependent responseN/ALinearity*Constancy
Accuracy
Well counterEfficiency (sensitivity)Efficiency (sensitivity)**Energy peaking Background
Constancy
Intraoperative probe****Battery check
Bias check
Energy peaking (if applicable)
Background
Constancy
Organ uptake probe****Energy peaking
Background
Constancy
Efficiency (sensitivity)
γ-cameraReferences 3, 5, and 8*Uniformity (for radionuclides used clinically other than 99mTc or 57Co)Spatial resolutionEnergy peaking Uniformity (for 99mTc or 57Co)
SPECT scanner or SPECT subsystem of SPECT/CT scannerReference 6*Tomographic uniformityCOR alignmentEnergy peaking
Overall system performanceUniformity (for 99mTc or 57Co)
PET scanner or PET subsystem of PET/CT scannerReference 4Normalization*Tomographic uniformityBlank scan
NormalizationWell-counter calibration
Well-counter calibration
CT subsystem of PET/CT or SPECT/CT scannerReferences 1, 2, and 22DosimetryLaser alignment*Warm-up
Image slice thicknessTomographic uniformity
Spatial resolutionLinearityAccuracy of CT number of water
High-contrast resolution
Low-contrast resolutionNoise
PET/CT or SPECT/CT image registration**Accuracy**
CT-based attenuation corrections
  • * Other than QC or performance assessment procedures that may be recommended by manufacturer, no such procedure specifically recommended for this time interval exists.