Overview
IEC TR 61948-2:2019 - "Nuclear medicine instrumentation - Routine tests - Part 2: Scintillation cameras and single photon emission computed tomography imaging" - is a Technical Report from IEC that defines ROUTINE TESTS for QUALITY CONTROL of single‑photon scintillation cameras and the SPECT portion of SPECT/CT systems equipped with parallel‑hole collimators. It supersedes the 2001 edition and updates test methods to match current technology. Note: ACCEPTANCE TEST methods are covered separately in IEC 61675-2.
Key Topics
The report focuses on routine QC checks and test methods relevant to gamma cameras and SPECT imaging. Principal technical topics include:
- Energy window setting - procedures for verifying correct energy discrimination.
- Background - assessing environmental and system background counting.
- Constancy of sensitivity - monitoring detector sensitivity over time.
- Non‑uniformity - intrinsic and system non‑uniformity measurements across the detector field of view.
- Pixel size, resolution and linearity - checks for spatial sampling, intrinsic and system resolution, and geometric linearity.
- Centre of Rotation (COR) - verification and correction methods critical to SPECT reconstructions.
- Tomographic non‑uniformity - evaluating artifacts and slice‑to‑slice consistency in SPECT.
- SPECT/CT co‑registration - tests for spatial alignment between SPECT and CT subsystems.
- Whole‑body imaging and frequency of routine tests - guidance on scope and scheduling of QC activities.
- Terms and definitions to standardize QC terminology across installations.
Applications
IEC TR 61948-2:2019 is practical for organizations and professionals responsible for nuclear medicine imaging quality and safety:
- Medical physicists and nuclear medicine technologists - to design and run routine QC programs and compare against REFERENCE DATA from acceptance testing.
- Clinical QA managers and hospital accreditation teams - to document compliance, maintain image quality, and support patient safety.
- Service engineers and manufacturers - to provide standardized test procedures for maintenance and field verification.
- Regulatory bodies and auditors - to interpret routine testing expectations for SPECT and SPECT/CT systems.
Routine implementation helps detect performance drift, avoid imaging artifacts, ensure accurate quantification and co-registration, and extend equipment service life.
Related Standards
- IEC 61675-2:2015 - Radionuclide imaging devices: characteristics and ACCEPTANCE TEST methods for gamma cameras (referenced for acceptance testing).
- IEC TR 61948-1:2016 - Routine tests for gamma radiation counting systems (series companion).
- IEC TR 60788:2004 - Glossary of defined terms used in related documents.
Keywords: IEC TR 61948-2:2019, nuclear medicine instrumentation, routine tests, scintillation cameras, SPECT, SPECT/CT, quality control, gamma camera, COR, non‑uniformity, SPECT/CT co‑registration.