DR Equipment Maintenance and Care Guidelines

In recent years, with the continuous breakthroughs in digital imaging technology, DR (Digital Radiography) equipment has achieved rapid development and popularization due to its unique advantages. As we all know, daily care of medical devices is crucial to extending their service life. So, what specific work should be done for the maintenance and upkeep of DR equipment?

Firstly, DR equipment should be placed in a clean environment. It is necessary to keep the equipment clean regularly, implement strict dust prevention measures, and avoid pollution. Secondly, vibration can affect the gantry and flat panel detector. During actual operation, special attention should be paid to preventing collisions between the detector and its housing, which may cause vibration damage. In addition, temperature and humidity are important factors affecting the normal operation of the electrical system and flat panel detector. In southern China, the failure rate of flat panel detectors is much higher than that in northern China, and the high-incidence period mainly falls during the annual plum rain season. Therefore, it is recommended that hospital equipment rooms be equipped with air conditioners and dehumidifiers, especially in areas with high humidity.

Calibration is a vital part of daily DR maintenance, and the equipment must be calibrated regularly. The calibration mainly includes tube calibration and flat panel detector calibration; the latter mainly covers gain calibration and defect calibration. Normally, the calibration cycle is set to six months. Under special circumstances, calibration should be performed every three months. It should be emphasized that calibration operations must be carried out by professional engineers, and no other personnel are allowed to operate without authorization.

The startup and shutdown of the DR system are also of great importance. Although these seem to be simple operations, they have a significant impact on the failure rate and service life of the equipment. Therefore, before starting the machine, it is necessary to first turn on the air conditioner and dehumidifier in the room, and start the DR equipment only when the room environment meets the equipment’s requirements. For shutdown, it is necessary to exit the system first and then cut off the power supply to avoid loss of software and data. At the same time, after the machine completes exposure and stops working, it should be placed in standby mode for a period of time before shutdown, allowing the cooling fan to continue working to dissipate heat from the machine.

As a precision instrument, the maintenance of DR equipment’s mechanical components cannot be ignored. For example, it is necessary to check whether the moving parts are working normally, and pay special attention to the wear of steel wire ropes. If burrs are found on the steel wire ropes, they should be replaced in a timely manner. In addition, moving parts such as bearings should be regularly wiped and lubricated.

To ensure the normal operation of DR equipment, extend its service life, and improve image quality, it is essential to develop the habits of caring for the equipment, using it rationally, and maintaining it scientifically, so as to maximize the equipment’s service efficiency.