Due to its concept, the phantom creates a link between technical and clinical image quality. It can also be used as QA tool for Digital Tomosynthesis.

Effective of May 2017, the Landolt evaluation of the mam/digi phantom was nationally accepted in Germany to be used alternatively to the CDMAM test.

(Source: Letter of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, the German Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit (BMUB) to the manufacturer) - The decision was based on a majority vote and recommendation by the German Länderausschuss Röntgenverordnung (LA RöV), a national expert panel for radiation protection and radiation saftey. A guideline on how to test mammography systems using the Landolt objects can be provided with the phantom on request.

A scientific study has additionally proven that the QUART mam/digi phantom reveals variations in image quality with a higher sensitivity than the ACR accreditation phantom.

Only one exposure is required to collect all necessary parameters to determine the imaging quality of the x-ray system.

After the exposure, the image can be visually checked or automatically evaluated through the unique QUART MammoPro software module.

The QUART mam/digi phantom incorporates Landolt ring objects. Similar to the gold structures of the CDMAM phantom, the Landolt C‘s are used to verify low-contrast and perceptibility limits. However, the Landolt rings are developed to compare better to the morphology of microcalcifications than any other available structure in current mammography QA/QC phantoms.*

All test objects are arranged and positioned near the thorax wall side of the mammography unit. This is intentional to avoid heel effect influence on the consistency of test results.

Technical specifications

• STEP WEDGE: 12 physical steps 5 – 40 mm PMMA
• Additional 3 Aluminium step-wedge (step 10-12)
• Micro-calcification strip creates a step wedge with a total of 24 steps
• CONTRAST DETAILS: 72 Landolt Cs, Group of 6 on each step
• LOW-CONTRAST: Row of low-contrast numbers on step 1 - 12
• NYQUIST FREQUENCY / MTF: Line spread function test object
• FIELD ALIGNMENT: 2 rows of radiopaque spheres to check field alignment at thorax side
• DETECTOR SLOT: Dosemeter slot for reproducible dose measurements
• INSERT AREA: For additional test inserts (e.g. ghosting / artefacts)
• SIZE: 240 x 180 x 46 mm (L x W x H)

H. de las Heras Gala et al., A phantom using titanium and Landolt rings for image quality evaluation in mammography, Phys. Med. Biol. 58 (8) 2013.