Darkroom Fog Semiannual Equipment Quality Control Tests

Questions  Key Words/Related Topics

Citation:

900.12(e)(4)(i),(ii),(iii)(A)(B): Semiannual quality control tests. Facilities with screen-film systems shall perform the following quality control tests at least semiannually:

(i) Darkroom fog. The optical density attributable to darkroom fog shall not exceed 0.05 when a mammography film of the type used in the facility, which has a mid-density of no less than 1.2 OD, is exposed to typical darkroom conditions for 2 minutes while such film is placed on the counter top emulsion side up. If the darkroom has a safelight used for mammography film, it shall be on during this test.

Question 1: We are a mobile facility with a van that does not have on-board processing. We have a film-changing room on the van where we load and unload cassettes with film during the day. When the van returns to our main office, we batch process the films. Do we have to perform a semiannual test for darkroom fog in this film-changing room?

Question 1: We are a mobile facility with a van that does not have on-board processing. We have a film-changing room on the van where we load and unload cassettes with film during the day. When the van returns to our main office, we batch process the films. Do we have to perform a semiannual test for darkroom fog in this film-changing room?

Yes. Since you use a room to load and unload cassettes with film, you must test this room for darkroom fog as well as the darkroom for your processor. Both rooms have the potential to fog films and degrade image quality.

Key Words:

Semiannual Tests

Screen-Film System

Darkroom Fog

Optical Density

Screen-Film Contact

Screen Speed

Compression Device

October 28, 2002

Related Topics:

Application of Compression

Quality Control (QC) Tests – Other Than Annual