Article: Why Excel Is Not Enough For X-Ray Testing And Quality Assurance
“What used to take us 4 hours now takes 25 minutes!”
A Case study with Maastricht UMC+: How switching from Excel to RTI Ocean software improves efficiency and traceability for X-ray testing and Quality Assurance, saving physicists valuable time.
The Piranha Multi meter from RTI Group, together with Ocean software, is an all-in-one solution for X-ray testing and Quality Assurance (QA), covering all application needs (Rad/Fluoro, Dental, Mammo, CT and more) and the broadest range of kV, dose and X-ray beam qualities.
As a non-invasive and completely wireless meter, the Piranha Multi can be placed into the X-ray beam, while the user makes exposures in the control room, and see measurement results appear directly on a tablet or computer. No wires or separate display devices are needed as an intermediary, maximizing efficiency.
The Piranha Multi with Ocean software can be used for the full range of X-ray QA needs, from simple measurement display (kVp, dose, dose rate, exposure time, HVL (half-value layer), total filtration and waveform display), to routine tests and more complex analysis, such as kV accuracy, reproducibility, mA linearity, HVL tests, CT dose index and much more.
To perform analysis, many users have traditionally exported data to Excel. However, as the team at Maastricht experienced, Excel has its drawbacks. One significant issue is that exporting to Excel breaks the chain of traceability. Users lose the ability to validate critical information such as when, where, who, and with what device the X-ray exposures were performed.
Another big problem with relying on Excel for X-ray reporting is the risk of transcription errors (typing in wrong values), referencing the wrong cell for analysis, or manually manipulated reporting. The more manual entry is required, the more risk of inaccurate reports and therefore unsafe equipment.
The team of physicists and engineers at Maastricht UMC+, together with their lead biomedical engineer Ralph Gielen, needed a more efficient solution. That’s where Ocean software from RTI Group comes in. With Ocean software, the whole process is traceable from X-ray exposure, through analysis, data storage, system pass/fail and reporting. There is no possibility for transcription errors like with Excel.
By adopting Ocean templates, Ralph and his team were able to create their own streamlined protocols based on national guidelines, specifically those provided by the Dutch Society for Clinical Physics (NVKF). The team at MUMC+ are responsible for QA on X-ray systems throughout the hospital, covering all departments and modalities, meaning both compliance and efficiency are key.
With Ocean software, the analysis is already built-in, enabling engineers to focus solely on capturing the correct exposures. The software automates the rest of the process, including analysis, pass-fail and report generation, eliminating complexities and potential errors while increasing standardization.
Ralph commented on testing their new cardiovascular Bi-Plane system: “what previously took 3-4 hours to complete could now be done in just 25 minutes”, showcasing the remarkable efficiency achieved through RTI Group’s premium wireless QA solution; the Piranha Multi with Ocean software.
The team at Maastricht UMC+ take advantage of Ocean templates. Ocean templates are pre-defined workflow routines, that can be customized to any specific system. Images of the correct setup can be added, to appear at the right time in the workflow, reducing training time for new physicists and engineers, while also eliminating set-up errors.
Ocean templates are used globally by X-ray manufacturers and hospitals, to ensure the correct procedure is always performed on the specific system being tested, becoming invaluable assets for physicists. The RTI solution ensures data security, traceability, efficiency, and adherence to regulation.
Recognizing the value of Ocean software, the team at Maastricht UMC+ made the full transition from using Excel to RTI Ocean software. They were also the first beta-testers for RTI Group’s innovative new cloud functionality. In addition to increased efficiency and traceability, all data can be securely backed up to the cloud, ensuring that valuable information is never lost, and templates can be shared directly with colleagues. The latest template versions are always available to the entire team, eliminating admin time and further increasing efficiency.
Michael Olding, PhD, is Head of Product Management at RTI Group. Michael works on the interface between product development at RTI and global end users of RTI’s products & solutions (physicists, engineers and medical professionals), and is passionate about ensuring user needs are at the forefront of new product development at RTI Group.