IEC TR 61948-3-2018 PDF

Full title and description

IEC TR 61948-3:2018 — Nuclear medicine instrumentation — Routine tests — Part 3: Positron emission tomographs. This technical report specifies routine quality-control test methods for positron emission tomographs (PET), including guidance for PET/CT hybrid systems where PET is the primary modality. It defines routine tests to be performed by the user to monitor and maintain proper operation, and describes how routine results are to be compared with reference data established during or after acceptance testing.

Abstract

This technical report provides a concise set of routine tests and performance checks for PET systems intended for regular user-level quality control. It covers image-quality checks, co-registration verification for PET/CT hybrids, performance tests that supplement acceptance testing (referencing IEC 61675-1), and practical instructions for comparing routine results with reference/acceptance data to detect deviations in system performance. The 2018 edition updates and replaces the earlier 2005 edition with several technical changes (see Key topics).

General information

• Status: Published — Technical Report (current edition published 2018; replaces 2005 edition).
• Publication date: 10 January 2018 (valid from 10.01.2018).
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC); adopted/available through national bodies (for example BSI national publication PD IEC/TR 61948-3:2018).
• ICS / categories: 11.040.50 (Radiographic equipment / Nuclear medicine instrumentation).
• Edition / version: Edition 2.0 (2018).
• Number of pages: 11 pages (electronic publication length as listed by the IEC webstore).

Key bibliographic details above are taken from IEC publication metadata and national adoptions.

Scope

Applies to positron emission tomographs employing stationary or moving detector arrangements used in nuclear medicine. The report gives user-level routine tests for monitoring PET system stability and image quality; it is not intended to replace acceptance testing procedures described in IEC 61675-1, nor to prescribe CT-specific QC for the CT component of PET/CT (CT-specific tests are covered by IEC 61223-2-6 and applicable CT standards). PET/CT hybrid systems are treated as state of the art, with specific attention to PET/CT co-registration checks.

Key topics and requirements

• Definitions and rationale for routine (user) quality-control tests for PET systems.
• Routine performance tests to detect changes in system operation and image quality (daily/weekly/monthly checks as appropriate).
• Added clause to verify that routine performance tests are being checked and trended (2018 revision).
• New test procedures in the 2018 edition for PET/CT co-registration accuracy (verification of alignment between PET and CT images).
• Image quality checks and procedures for verifying reconstructed image parameters.
• Reference-data comparison: how to compare routine test results with acceptance/reference values and interpret deviations.
• Notes on scope exclusions — CT-only quality control and CT type testing are outside the PET-specific routine tests and are covered by IEC 61223-2-6 and IEC 60601 series requirements.

Typical use and users

This report is intended for medical physicists, nuclear medicine technologists, clinical engineers, PET service engineers, equipment manufacturers (for service and user instructions), and regulatory or accreditation bodies that define QC programs. It is used to establish routine test schedules, acceptance comparison procedures, and simple user-level checks to detect performance drift between formal calibrations or service interventions.

Related standards

Commonly referenced and related documents include IEC 61675-1 (acceptance and performance tests for PET), IEC TR 61948-1 (related parts of the 61948 series), IEC 61223-2-6 (CT image-quality and QC tests for CT components), IEC 60601-1 (general medical electrical equipment safety), IEC 60601-2-44 (particular requirements for X-ray equipment in CT), and earlier or related technical reports such as IEC TR 60788. Users should consult those documents for acceptance testing, CT-specific QC, and safety/type testing.

Keywords

PET, PET/CT, positron emission tomography, nuclear medicine instrumentation, routine tests, quality control, image quality, co-registration, acceptance testing, IEC TR 61948 series.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC TR 61948-3:2018 is a Technical Report from the IEC that specifies routine user-level quality-control test methods for positron emission tomographs (PET), including guidance relevant to PET/CT hybrid systems.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers routine checks and tests to monitor PET performance and image quality, procedures for comparing routine results to reference/acceptance data, and added PET/CT co-registration and image-quality tests introduced in the 2018 edition. CT-only QC and CT type testing are outside its PET-specific scope.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Medical physicists, nuclear medicine technologists, clinical engineering staff, equipment service engineers, manufacturers and bodies responsible for clinical quality assurance and accreditation.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2018 edition (Edition 2.0) supersedes the 2005 edition. The 2018 publication is the current IEC TR version for this part (valid from 10 January 2018). Users should verify national adoptions or later amendments at the time of use.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 3 of the IEC TR 61948 series (which addresses routine tests for nuclear medicine instrumentation) and should be read in the context of other parts and related IEC acceptance and QC standards.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: PET, PET/CT, nuclear medicine instrumentation, routine tests, quality control, image quality, co-registration, IEC TR 61948-3:2018.