Norland Elite 437A150, Operator'S Manual

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Maintaining High Quality AP Spine Scans
Patient positioning, scan and analysis techniques can influence the precision and accuracy of Norland Bone
Density estimations. Facilities can reduce the adverse effects of some of these factors by:
Performing and monitoring the daily QA procedure to verify that other radiation sources
(x-ray machines, nuclear imagers) are not affecting the performance of the Norland system. The daily QA pro-
cedure verifies proper operation as well.
Ensuring that all operators position patients and analyze data in the same manner.
Screening patients for recent radionuclide uptake procedures. Residual emission may be misinterpreted by
the Norland system as x-rays.
Screening patients for recent ingestion of radiopaque substances. Barium or other dyes used in some x-ray
procedures could result in increased soft tissue x-ray absorption.
Screening patients for external opaque (metal and plastic) objects. Jewelry, buttons, zippers, rivets,
buckles, pens, keys etc. can affect the results if they are in the scanning region.
Screening patients for prosthetic devices, implants, surgical staples, or other high density sub-dermal mater-
ials that may affect density estimates.
Ensuring that scan and analysis parameters remain constant for all scans of the same patient.
Ensuring the patient does not move during the scan.
Figure 7-2: Example of a Good Quality AP Spine Scan
The vertebral column is centered and straight. Auto Centering helps to ensure that the vertebral column is
centered and straight in the scan region.
Anatomical landmarks such as the ribs off T12 and the top of the iliac crests are visible in the scan image.
Operator's Guide
437D140 Rev. I
7-4 Scanning AP Spine