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PubMed1992

Preparation of a 99mTc wipe standard for survey instrument calibration in nuclear medicine.

A method was developed for the preparation of a standard source to satisfy the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirement for calibration of wipe-assay procedures used in nuclear medicine laboratories. An essential element of this standard was that a locally prepared calibration wipe could be used with thin-window Geiger-Muller detectors that detect 99mTc conversion electrons with high sensitivity. This proposed calibration wipe was evaluated with both a NaI(Tl) well counter and a thin-window Geiger-Muller pancake probe. Average detector sensitivities of 1,540 and 160 counts min-1 per 2000 disintegrations min-1, respectively, were found for 99mTc. An analysis of the errors for each step of the procedure showed most to be less than 3% (95% confidence level). The nuclear medicine dose calibrator, used to assay the activity from which the wipe was prepared, was estimated to contribute a 9% absolute calibration error. Use of the pancake probe contributed a 12% geometry-reproducibility error. The total error associated with the use of the calibration wipe standard to calibrate a typical 99mTc wipe-assay procedure, exclusive of the count-dependent error associated with the number of counts acquired, was found for the NaI(Tl) well counter to be given by a percentage of 2 SD = 10% and for the thin-window Geiger-Muller pancake probe, percentage 2 SD = 16%. Coating of the calibration wipe with an acrylic spray, to prevent it from contaminating instruments during use, was evaluated. This coating was effective while it reduced the detectability of the wipe activity by a negligible degree.

Calibration↗

PubMed1994

Atmospheric pressure effects on the calibration constant of alpha-track radon detectors.

Accurate determination of the calibration constant is essential for the reliable determination of indoor radon air concentrations using alpha-track detectors. One possible source of error in the application of this method of radon assay is an effect of air density on the calibration factor. Such an effect, if present, could contribute to systematic errors in radon measurements where the calibration facility and the location measured were at different altitudes above sea level. To investigate this question, cellulose nitrate alpha-track detectors were exposed to known air concentrations of 222Rn over a range of air pressure in a systematic study of the effect of simulated altitude on the calibration constant (track density)/(integrated radon exposure). The values obtained for the calibration constant at known air-pressure values were used to establish correction factors as a function of equivalent altitude for this alpha-track method of radon assay. This correction may then be applied to compensate for the effect of altitude on radon-in-air determinations by this method. Altitude effects were evaluated for two detector configurations (the closed-can geometry and the open, or bare-detector geometry). The calibration constants (tracks cm-2) (kBq h m-3)-1 obtained exhibit an inverse relationship with air pressure (i.e., vary directly with altitude). The results indicate (as an example) that for an increase in altitude of approximately 1,000 m above sea level, the calibration constant for Kodak LR 115 II detectors increases by 28% for the closed-can geometry. For an altitude of 1,500 m above sea level, the calibration constant increases by 41% for closed detectors and by 63% for the open (bare) detectors.

Alpha Particles↗

PubMed2004

Summing coincidence errors using 152Eu lungs to calibrate a lung-counting system: are they significant?

The use of a lung phantom containing 152Eu/241 Am activity can provide a sufficient number of energy lines to generate an efficiency calibration for the in vivo measurements of radioactive materials in the lungs. However, due to the number of energy lines associated with 152Eu, coincidence summing occurs and can present a problem when using such a phantom for calibrating lung-counting systems. A Summing Peak Effect Study was conducted at three laboratories to determine the effect of using an efficiency calibration based on a 152Eu/241 Am lung phantom. The measurement data at all three laboratories showed the presence of sum peaks. While one of the laboratories found only small biases (< 5%) when using the 152Eu/241 Am calibration, the other facilities noted up to 30% positive bias in the 140 keV to 190 keV energy range that prevents the use of the 152Eu/241 Am lung phantom for routine calibrations. Although manufactured by different vendors, the three facilities use similar types of germanium detectors (38 cm2 by 25 mm thick or 38 cm2 by 30 mm thick) for counting. These results underscore the need to evaluate the coincidence summing effect, which appear system dependent, when using a nuclide such as 152Eu for the calibration of low-energy lung counting systems and highlight the problem of using a general calibration curve in place of specific nuclide calibration factors.

Artifacts↗

PubMed2005

A fully automated calibration method for an optical see-through head-mounted operating microscope with variable zoom and focus.

Ever since the development of the first applications in image-guided therapy (IGT), the use of head-mounted displays (HMDs) was considered an important extension of existing IGT technologies. Several approaches to utilizing HMDs and modified medical devices for augmented reality (AR) visualization were implemented. These approaches include video-see through systems, semitransparent mirrors, modified endoscopes, and modified operating microscopes. Common to all these devices is the fact that a precise calibration between the display and three-dimensional coordinates in the patient's frame of reference is compulsory. In optical see-through devices based on complex optical systems such as operating microscopes or operating binoculars-as in the case of the system presented in this paper-this procedure can become increasingly difficult since precise camera calibration for every focus and zoom position is required. We present a method for fully automatic calibration of the operating binocular Varioscope M5 AR for the full range of zoom and focus settings available. Our method uses a special calibration pattern, a linear guide driven by a stepping motor, and special calibration software. The overlay error in the calibration plane was found to be 0.14-0.91 mm, which is less than 1% of the field of view. Using the motorized calibration rig as presented in the paper, we were also able to assess the dynamic latency when viewing augmentation graphics on a mobile target; spatial displacement due to latency was found to be in the range of 1.1-2.8 mm maximum, the disparity between the true object and its computed overlay represented latency of 0.1 s. We conclude that the automatic calibration method presented in this paper is sufficient in terms of accuracy and time requirements for standard uses of optical see-through systems in a clinical environment.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2001

An iterative EPID calibration procedure for dosimetric verification that considers the EPID scattering factor.

There has been an increasing interest in the application of electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) to dosimetric verification, particularly for intensity modulated radiotherapy. Although not water equivalent, the phantom scatter factor of an EPID, Spe, is generally assumed to be that of a full phantom, Sp, a slab phantom, Sps, or a mini phantom. This assumption may introduce errors in absolute dosimetry using EPIDs. A calibration procedure that iteratively updates Spe and the calibration curve (pixel value to dose rate) is presented. The EPID (Varian Portal Vision) is irradiated using a 20 x 20 cm2 field with different beam intensities. The initial guess of dose rates in the EPID is calculated from ionization chamber measurements in air, multiplied by Sp or Sps. The calibration curve is obtained by fitting EPID readings from pixels near the beam central axis and dose rates in EPID to a quadratic equation. The Spe is obtained from EPID measurements in 10 X 10 cm2 and 20 x 20 cm2 field and from the calibration curve, and is in turn used to adjust the dose rate measurements and hence the calibration curve. The above procedure is repeated until it converges. The final calibration curve is used to convert portal dose to dose in the slab phantom, using the calibrated Spe, or assuming Spe = Sp or Spe=Sps . The converted doses are then compared with the dose measured using an ionization chamber. We also apply this procedure to off-axis points and study its dependence on the energy spectrum. The hypothesis testing results (on the 95% significance level) indicate that systematic errors are introduced when assuming Spe = Sp or Spe=Sps and the dose calculated using Spe is more consistent with ionization chamber measurements. Differences between Spe and Sps are as large as 2% for large field sizes. The measured relative dose profile at dmax using the EPID agrees well with the measured profile at dmax of the isocentric plane using film in a polystyrene phantom with full buildup and full backup, for open and wedged fields, and for a broad range of field sizes of interest. The dependence of the EPID response on the energy spectrum is removed once the calibration is performed under the same conditions as the actual measurements.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Calibration of 192Ir high-dose-rate afterloading systems.

A method is described for calibration of 192Ir high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy afterloading systems. Since NIST does not offer calibration of ionization chambers with the gamma-ray spectrum of iridium-192, an interpolation procedure is employed, using calibrations above (137Cs, 662 keV) and below (250 kVcp, 146-keV x rays) the exposure-weighted average 192Ir energy of 397 keV. The same total wall + cap thickness must be used for both calibrations, and for the 192Ir measurements. A wall + cap thickness of 0.3 g/cm2 is recommended to assure charged particle equilibrium and to exclude secondary electrons emitted from the source encapsulation. Procedures are described for determining the corrections for source-chamber distance and room scatter during the source calibration in inverse-square-law geometry. A new well-type ionization chamber has been designed specifically for convenient routine use with the HDR afterloading system. It can be calibrated by means of a previously calibrated 192Ir source, and offers a simple means for verifying the decay rate and for calibrating 192Ir replacement sources.

Brachytherapy↗

PubMed1997

Field study of lyophilised plasmas for local prothrombin time calibration in The Netherlands.

AIM: To assess the effect of a lyophilised calibrant plasma procedure on the international normalised ratio (INR) and its interlaboratory variation. METHODS: INR equivalent values were assigned to five lyophilised plasmas (one from normal donors and four from coumarin treated patients) by a reference laboratory using three calibrated thromboplastin reagents. The calibrant plasmas and five artificial control blood specimens were mailed to 44 Dutch laboratories for prothrombin time (PT) determination. The assigned INR values were used to calculate calibration lines for each participant laboratory. The calibration lines were then used to translate the PT of the control specimens to INR. RESULTS: For all lyophilised plasmas and control blood samples, there were significant differences between INR values determined with the three thromboplastin reagents. These differences could not be explained by inaccuracy of the international sensitivity index or mean normal PT of the reagents and must, therefore, have been induced by the preparation procedures for the lyophilised plasmas and control blood samples. The interlaboratory variation of the INR obtained with the calibrant plasma procedure had a coefficient of variation (CV) ranging between 2.1% and 7.3% and tended to be lower than the interlaboratory variation found with the usual methods (3.0-12.2% CV). There was a good agreement between the mean INRs obtained with the calibrant procedure and those obtained using the normal methods. CONCLUSIONS: The present study highlights the limitations of some lyophilised plasmas and control blood samples. It is not possible to assign a single INR value to each of these lyophilised plasmas and control specimens that is valid for all thromboplastin reagents. Nevertheless, by using reagent specific INR equivalent values for the calibrant plasma procedure, the interlaboratory variation could be reduced.

Anticoagulants↗

PubMed1995

Analytic isocenter calibration. A new approach for accurate x-ray gantries.

Isocenter calibration transforms cardiac structures in digitized biplane angiograms to absolute dimensions, calculating their radiological magnification and video transformation. Since a scaling device is not required, isocenter calibration yields to more accurate measurements than the widely used reference object calibration. Both isocenter methods reported so far, regarding geometrically inaccurate x-ray gantries, yield to different and complex computational formulas. Since these formulas are hard to understand, isocenter calibration is less widely used. To facilitate the implementation of the isocenter calibration, the basic formulas for accurate x-ray gantries are derived. Shifting virtually one x-ray system onto the other, basic isocenter calibration is derived geometrically in three simple steps. The radiological magnification of an object is illustrated as a ratio of planes. The calculation of all parameters entering the computations is demonstrated geometrically, by use of the isocenter of the x-ray gantry. The derivation gives a clear idea of isocenter calibration. It is simple to derive and facilitates the understanding of the error regarding developments. When geometrical inaccuracies vanish, all formulas become equivalent. However, even if the inaccuracies increase, all methods provide nearly identical results, indicating the robustness of isocenter calibration.

Angiocardiography↗

PubMed2005

Calibration of accelerometer output for adults.

This paper reviews the collective experience of monitor calibration studies in adults and seeks to answer the following questions: What has been done? What have we learned? What could be done to further enhance the comparability of results from future calibration research? Calibration studies in adults have typically used oxygen consumption as a criterion measure, similar types of source activities, and linear regression to obtain prediction equations that calibrate the activity counts to measured activity intensity levels. However, the methodological diversity of these studies has produced a great deal of variation in the resulting prediction equations and cut points, even when using the same monitor. Thus, data obtained from a relatively robust activity monitoring technology that captures many dynamic physical activities reasonably well have been splintered by the calibration process into a wide range of summary measures that are much less comparable than they could otherwise be. This heterogeneity in calibration results reduces our ability to interpret data obtained from accelerometers between different research groups, across the life span, between populations, and probably between the different monitor types. This report reviews and critiques methods typically used for developing calibration equations and determining activity count cut points for identifying specific intensities of PA among adults, and it highlights the need for flexible research methods that can enhance the comparability of results from future calibration studies.

Acceleration↗

PubMed1984

Calibration of a system for the computer-assisted operation of a small animal inhalation facility.

The initialization of chambers in the computer-assisted inhalation facility at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (1) includes a series of operations that we call "characterization." Characterization consists of two parts, the first of which is one of the topics of this report. In the first part of the characterization the mathematical relationship between the concentration of the chemical of interest and the output of the analyzer is approximated. This amounts to establishing a standard against which subsequent, daily calibrations can be compared. The second part of the characterization represents a wholly automatic operation in which certain dynamic characteristics of the system are quantified. A daily calibration is performed at the beginning of each day of chamber operation after the system has been characterized. The daily calibration data are checked against the characterization standard. The conversion equation for the daily operation of the chamber is derived from the daily calibration data combined with the characterization data. An equation that converts the output of the analyzer to units of concentration of the chemical of interest is at the heart of the computer-assisted monitoring and control system for our inhalation facility. The equation is derived from a calibration procedure that is conducted prior to starting each day's chamber operation. Quality control requires that, in addition to having a daily calibration of the system, a standard of reference be available against which each day's calibration data can be checked. This practice provides protection against the introduction of spurious calibration data on a daily basis, as well as providing a means for the detection of longer term drift.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Calibration models for the vinyl acetate concentration in ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers and its on-line monitoring by near-infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics: use of band shifts associated with variations in the vinyl acetate concentration to improve the models.

The present study investigates calibration models for the vinyl acetate (VA) concentration in ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers and its on-line monitoring by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics. The key point in the present study is to make use of band shifts associated with concentration changes in the vinyl acetate (VA) for the improvement of the models. NIR spectra of EVA in melt and solid states were measured by a Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) on-line monitoring system and a FT-NIR laboratory system. Some of the bands in the NIR spectra for both states show significant shifts with the variations in the VA concentration. The peak shifts induced by the VA concentration changes are larger in the solid-state EVA than those in the melt-state EVA. We have developed calibration models for the VA concentration in the solid-state EVA and investigated how to improve the calibration models. The factor analysis of partial least squares (PLS) regression has suggested that the wavenumber shifts caused by the VA concentration changes affect the calibration models for the VA concentration in EVA. From the analysis, it has been proposed that the wavenumbers in the spectrum of one sample in nine EVA samples (VA concentration range: 0-41.1%) are shifted for the improvement of the calibration models, and the effects of the proposed method have been confirmed by using the PLS calibration models for the VA concentration in the solid EVA samples. As the next step, the effects of the wavenumber shift method have been explored for the calibration models for the VA concentration in the melt-state EVA. After that, the discrimination method using the score plots of PLS and the application sequence for the on-line monitoring to use the proposed wavenumber shift method were studied. The simulation results using the discrimination and wavenumber shift methods have shown that those methods are very effective to improve the predicted values of the calibration models for the on-line monitoring of the VA concentration in the melt-state EVA.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

Analysis of zinc in biological samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry: use of addition calibration technique.

The quantification of target analytes in complex matrices requires special calibration approaches to compensate for additional capacity or activity in the matrix samples. The standard addition is one of the most important calibration procedures for quantification of analytes in such matrices. However, this technique requires a great number of reagents and material, and it consumes a considerable amount of time throughout the analysis. In this work, a new calibration procedure to analyze biological samples is proposed. The proposed calibration, called the addition calibration technique, was used for the determination of zinc (Zn) in blood serum and erythrocyte samples. The results obtained were compared with those obtained using conventional calibration techniques (standard addition and standard calibration). The proposed addition calibration was validated by recovery tests using blood samples spiked with Zn. The range of recovery for blood serum and erythrocyte samples were 90-132% and 76-112%, respectively. Statistical studies among results obtained by the addition technique and conventional techniques, using a paired two-tailed Student's t-test and linear regression, demonstrated good agreement among them.

Calibration↗

PubMed2001

A new calibration method for 3-D position measurement in biomedical applications.

Aim of the study was to determine practicality and to test accuracy of a new calibration technique firstly introduced in 1998 by Schmid and Bess for biomechanical human tests. This technique enables three-dimensional calibration of camera positions as well as the calculation of internal and external camera parameters. It can be performed unlike other three-dimensional calibration techniques as the first with a planar calibration grid and only one single video image (of each camera) to calculate all 3-D reconstruction parameters. The tests were performed using two albavision ACAM G-Cameras with a resolution of 480 (h) by 420 (v) pixels. The achievable accuracy of distance measurements in recent commercially available motion measurement systems usually ranges from about 0.09% to 1.77% and higher. Accuracy of 0.0373% was determined with the new calibration technique. The 95% confidence interval ranged at +/- 0.02322 mm, the RMS (root mean square) error at 0.18776 mm. Better accuracy, easier and faster calibration are features of this new calibration technique. Required time for complete calibration ranged below one minute. Anticipating this new method will have good practicality in gait analysis or in research and industry due to increased accuracy and ease of use.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1986

SCE Nordic alpha-amylase study. II: Assessment of proposed calibration procedure. A report by the Scandinavian Committee on Enzymes (SCE).

Eighty-seven Nordic Hospital laboratories participated in a joint SCE-NORDKEM follow-up study of the long-term stability of the previously established calibration factors for a number of alpha-amylase routine methods based on six different substrates. Human control materials with 90% pancreatic, 90% salivary, and pure pancreatic alpha-amylases were measured by the participants. The data were plotted before and after calibration of each method using a human pancreatic calibrator with an assigned catalytic concentration of 390 U/l (Phadebas blue starch method, 37 degrees C). As in the previous study, carried out 9 months earlier, the pre-calibration values varied over a six-fold range. The post-calibration values of all methods except those based on a tetraose substrate showed an acceptable inter-laboratory comparability. As a temporary measure, SCE recommends that the Nordic laboratories calibrate the accepted routine methods by their individual calibration factor. Detailed suggestions for calibration procedures and a discussion of the principles of transferability will shortly be published by the SCE in this journal.

Calibration↗

PubMed2006

Shack-Hartmann-Based wavefront analyzer for calibrating excimer lasers.

PURPOSE: Currently, refractive surgical excimer laser systems are calibrated by ablating plastic lenses, which are measured by lensometer and analyzed by a technician. The accuracy of this method is approximately 0.25 diopters (D) in sphere and cylinder power. Theoretically, objective calibration using wavefront technology would be significantly more accurate, thereby improving surgical outcomes. This study describes a Shack-Hartmann-based instrument, which has been developed to measure ablated plastic lenses for calibration and quality control of the excimer laser. METHODS: A calibration instrument comprising an LED source at 640 nm, a lenslet array, beam-guiding optics, and a CCD camera was designed to perform full wavefront analysis. The measurement plane is conjugate to the lenslet array plane, and the diameter of the pupil is 5 mm. Accuracy was determined by measuring a set of well-calibrated spherical and cylindrical glass lenses. Plastic lenses were ablated, and high-precision measurements were performed by surface profile scanner. RESULTS: In the power range of -6.00 to +4.00 D, repeatability exceeded 0.01 D, accuracy of measurement exceeded 0.04 D, and 10 for the axis of cylinder lenses. The measurement of excimer-ablated plastic lenses agreed with high-precision surface profile scanner measurements within 0.10 D, and repeatability exceeded 0.01 D. CONCLUSIONS: Wavefront technology-based, high-precision measurement of calibration lenses can more accurately set the energy of the excimer laser, which enhances the accuracy of refractive laser correction. In automating calibration, the new instrument removes operator subjectivity and decreases the time needed for calibration.

Calibration↗

PubMed2002

Simplified calibration system for stereoradiography in scoliosis.

Stereoradiography is a well known method to obtain 3D images of the spine and the thorax. The main algorithm used is the DLT, which is a very general one yielding to 11 implicit parameters per view. In order to calibrate the geometrical configuration of the stereoradiographic setup with this algorithm, there is a need of a wide calibrating object, leading to systems hard to use in clinical practice. The aim of this work was to modify the algorithm in order to simplify the calibration object. We used assumptions related to the specific case of stereoradiography, which reduced the problem of calibration to only 6 independent explicit parameters. A geometrical calibration performed plane by plane enabled to design a singular calibration object composed of steel balls along two vertical lines and three horizontal ones. A simulation of real configuration both for the previous method and the current algorithm associated to the singular calibrating object give for thirty 3D points a 2 RMS (95% confidence interval) error of reconstruction of respectively 0.6 and 0.3 mm. This study yielded to the transfer in clinics of two simplified systems of calibration which will be easier to use in clinical practice.

Calibration↗

PubMed2006

Bootstrapped ultrasound calibration.

This paper introduces an enhanced (bootstrapped) method for tracked ultrasound probe calibration. Prior to calibration, a position sensor is used to track an ultrasound probe in 3D space, while the US image is used to determine calibration target locations within the image. From this information, an estimate of the transformation matrix of the scan plane with respect to the position sensor is computed. While all prior calibration methods terminate at this phase, we use this initial calibration estimate to bootstrap an additional optimization of the transformation matrix on independent data to yield the minimum reconstruction error on calibration targets. The bootstrapped workflow makes use of a closed-form calibration solver and associated sensitivity analysis, allowing for rapid and robust convergence to an optimal calibration matrix. Bootstrapping demonstrates superior reconstruction accuracy.

Calibration↗

PubMed2005

A new continuous calibration method for inductively coupled plasma spectrometry.

A new calibration method was developed and applied to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. External calibration was performed as follows. A container was filled with a given volume of deionized (V(p)) water. Then a concentrated standard was introduced at a controlled rate (Q(e)) into the tank by means of a peristaltic pump. The resulting solution was stirred throughout the experiment. Simultaneously, the solution inside the tank was pumped from the vessel to the plasma at a given rate (Q(s)). The signal was continuously recorded. The variation of the concentration of the solution leaving the tank with time was determined by applying a basic equation of stirred tanks. The representation of the emission intensity versus the time and the further conversion of the time scale into a concentration scale gave rise to the calibration line. The best results in terms of linearity were achieved for V(p)=15 cm3, Q(e)=0.6-0.75 ml min(-1) and Q(s)=1-1.2 ml min(-1). Graphs with more than 40 standards were obtained within about 10 min. The results found were not statistically different from those afforded by the conventional calibration method. In addition, the new method was faster and supplied better linearity and precision than the conventional one. Another advantage of the stirred tank was that procedures such as dynamic calibration and standard additions could be easily and quickly applied, thus shortening the analysis time. A complete analysis following these procedures based on the measurement of 30 standards took about 5 min. Several synthetic as well as certified samples (i.e., bovine liver, mussel tissue and powdered milk) were analyzed with the stirred tank by applying four different calibration methodologies (i.e., external calibration, internal calibration, standard additions and a combination of internal standardization and standard additions), with the combination of internal standardization and standard additions being the method that provided the best results. The element concentrations obtained were not significantly different from the actual or certified values.

Journal Article↗