The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published NEMA XR 31-2016: Standard Attributes on X-ray Equipment for Interventional Procedures—a standard developed by its Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) division. This standard, which uses MITA Smart Dose Interventional technology, offers healthcare providers tangible ways to manage patient radiation dose delivery while still enabling x-ray systems to provide sufficient image quality needed by physicians.
NEMA XR 31-2016 describes eight features that should be taken into consideration when performing risk management evaluations on existing stationary x-ray interventional equipment. They include: digital x-ray imaging device classification, dosimetric indication, added filters, range of air kerma rates in fluoroscopy, last-image-hold, virtual collimation, stored fluoroscopy, and variable-pulsed fluoroscopy.
“MITA is dedicated to developing standards for medical imaging equipment that enhances patient safety by providing dose reduction, mitigation, and management features,” says Megan Hayes, MITA’s director of regulatory and standards strategy. “The MITA Smart Dose Interventional standard identifies state-of-the-art attributes that will help manage patient dose while ensuring high image quality for the physician.”
NEMA XR 31-2016 may be downloaded at no cost on NEMA’s Web site.
