Development of a Low-Cost Phantom for the Evaluation of Beam Perpendicularity and Coincidence Between the Light and Radiation Field
摘要
Quality control (QC) of medical equipment is essential to ensure its proper functioning. However, the lack of equipment, qualified personnel, and, most importantly, legal regulations in our country means that very few medical centers perform such QC procedures with the frequency recommended by international reference organizations. In diagnostic radiology equipment, two of the most fundamental controls are: verifying the alignment between the light field and the radiation field, and ensuring the perpendicularity of the X-ray beam with respect to the image receptor. Performing these checks requires specific phantoms, which are expensive—particularly for centers with limited resources. This work presents the design and construction of a phantom developed entirely through a collaboration between the Laboratorio de Dosimetría y Protección Radiológica (Laboratory of Dosimetry and Radiological Protection - LaDoPro) and the Laboratorio de Enseñanza de la Física (Physics Teaching Laboratory - LEF) of the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas (Faculty of Exact Sciences) at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata (National University of La Plata). The phantom was produced using 3D printing and includes lead markers to evaluate the parameters across the three spatial planes. This paper discusses the preliminary tests conducted, the results obtained, and potential improvements for future versions.The developed phantom allows for a reliable, practical, and reproducible assessment of beam alignment and the coincidence between the light and radiation fields, all at a very low cost, using accessible materials and simple manufacturing techniques. This device could facilitate the implementation of both QC procedures in a greater number of institutions, thereby contributing to improved quality in radiological procedures.