AutoQA Plus CT Catphan® Software
Application Features
- Designed for simple and intuitive navigation
- Pass/Fail performance evaluation
- User can create Report Profiles to control Pass/Fail limits, output of images, overlays and graphs
- Instant trend analysis using our HTML 'Trend Report Links'
- Reports available in HTML and PDF formats
- Support local date and numbers format
- Multiple language support
- Simple database export to Excel
- Supports compressed and enhanced DICOM images
- Self-service option for offline license activation
- Pixel size (geometric distortion)
- CT Number Linearity (Sensitometry)
- Slice Thickness
- Patient Alignment System and Table Movement Accuracy
- Spatial resolution (MTF)
- Image Uniformity and Noise
- Uniformity Index
- Contrast Detail (Low Contrast Detectability)
- Low Contrast - Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) (Catphan 600, 700)
- Slice Sensitivity Profile (SSP)
Phantoms Supported
- Catphan CTP700, CTP604, CTP600, CTP500, CTP504, CTP503
- Pixel Size - verifies the expected pixel size using the measured distance between four pins (3 air, 1 Teflon) in Catphan® sections CTP401 and CTP404. Measurement not supported by Catphan 700.
- CT Linearity (Sensitometry) – A least squares fit for the mean CT numbers and the attenuation coefficients is calculated for 20 energies (40-140keV), the keV with the minimum variance is selected as the effective beam energy.
- Slice Thickness – The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the CT number profile for each wire or bead ramp is measured. A trigonometric conversion is calculated based on the known ramp angle to yield the slice thickness.
- Patient Alignment System and Table Movement Accuracy - assessed from the slice thickness opposing wire angled ramps. The slice thickness test outputs the Table Position Offset; the z-axis offset.
- Spatial Resolution (MTF) - The modulation transfer function (MTF) is calculated from the discrete Fourier transform of the average vertical horizontal LSF's of the point spread function for a wire or bead impulse source. The program reports the 50%, 10%, and 2% MTF values.
- Image Uniformity and Noise - Uniformity is calculated from regions of interest (ROI) positioned over a uniformity phantom section. Five ROI's are defined: one at the phantom center and the other four along the axes at the same radius. Uniformity is the maximum absolute difference between the center and peripheral ROI means. Noise is calculated from one centered ROI, 40% of the phantom diameter, following the IEC guidelines for noise.
- Uniformity Index - Vertical and horizontal profiles 10 pixels wide are generated passing through the phantom's center. The fractional uniformity of the profile is calculated as the percentage of the pixels within an acceptable range determined by the mean ± 2 times the centeral noise or ± 10H, whichever is smaller.
- Contrast Detail (Low Contrast Detectability) - The Contrast-Detail curve data is calculated using the measured noise sampled at the center of the low contrast module (CTP263 or CTP515).
- Low Contrast - CNR measurements for the low contrast supra-slice targets (5-15mm) in the CTP515 module
- SSP (Slice sensitivity profile) - FWHM processing of an impulse source (bead) in a series of sequential axial or helical images
New Application Features
- AUTOQA PLUS has been coded in C# using Microsoft .NET programming environment. This is a major change from the coding environment of Delphi used in QALite. This change will allow us to better support and provide improvements requested by our users.
- We have created a totally new user interface (UI) that is very user friendly and intuitive to use.
- A 'Run to End' function that will minimize user interaction.
- We created one application that would support the trend analysis, license registration and Catphan image processing. QALite has 3 separate applications for these functions.
- Developed a self service feature for license registration. A valuable feature for license registration when offline license activation is required. Users do not need to contact QA Benchmark for assistance in license registration. A feature not available in QALite. We will pursue a Self-Service license deactivation function.
- Added a pass/fail feature that the user can select tolerances to use for the pass/fail feedback. A feature not available in QALite
- AUTOQA PLUS can support regional number and date format throughout processing and reporting
- AUTOQA PLUS can support French, Spanish and Japanese language translations for the UI and reports. A feature not available in QALite
- The user can create unique report profiles that control the contents of a report; graphs, images, images with overlays of ROI's and pass/fail tolerances.
- Users can create separate report profiles for each vendor/CT model/phantom/helical or axial data.
- We added an 'Export Graph Data' to Excel feature for the MTF, Uniformity and SSP plots available on the HTML screen report. A feature not available in QALite.
- Users can Initiate Trend Analysis directly from the HTML report.
- AUTOQA PLUS includes an 'Export Data' to Excel feature that allows users to select system data and select specific study dates for export to Excel. A feature not available in QALite
- Databases can be shared between multiple users (not simultaneously). A feature not available in QALite.
- Improved Catphan 700 high contrast line pair gauge processing with line pair gauge plot.
- Improved low contrast target search for CNR measurements in the Catphan 600 and 700.
- SSP processing UI updated with user control bead selection
- Manual MTF UI improved image and bead selection