info@atirix.com | Main 877.273.1764 | Support 877.273.1765
 
  News

January 10, 2024
Atirix QC-Track® Compression Thickness Worksheet Template Now Available for Hologic Dimension FAST Mode

Atirix QC-Track® Compression Thickness Worksheet Template Now Available for Hologic Dimension FAST Mode

January 10, 2024 (MINNEAPOLIS) – This notice is for clients with newer Hologic 3D/2D systems that support “FAST Mode”.

Per Hologic, sites with FAST Mode are required to use an additional Compression Thickness Worksheet when it is active. Hologic has recently begun to notify sites of this requirement.

Atirix now offers the FAST Mode Compression Thickness worksheet for QC-Track®. This new template is available at no charge for clients.

If you have been notified by Hologic on the FAST mode requirement, or if you have any questions on this, please contact Atirix Support for the new worksheet template by emailing Support@atirix.com.

If you have not been notified by Hologic, and your Dimensions units are not using FAST Mode, then there is nothing you need to do.
--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

April 14, 2023
Atirix announces QC-Track® 5.15 release

Atirix announces QC-Track® 5.15 release

April 14, 2023 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces the release of QC-Track 5.15, featuring major enhancements to the Nuclear Medicine module and improvements to email notifications, including a new reminder email for daily QC not yet completed.

The primary additions to the Nuclear Medicine module are new phantom calculations which support NEMA uniformity and automated center of rotation (COR) testing within QC-Track.

“The ability to perform image processing for these tests within QC-Track instead of relying on the device’s internal check will allow QC to be performed consistently across manufacturers” says Angela Snyder, PhD. “These changes will also streamline SPECT QC by providing a central platform for the full suite of recommended tests”.

Additionally, DICOM processing for nested tags has been enhanced, which improves PET and SPECT image calculations.

Accompanying the Nuclear Medicine updates are improvements to QC-Track’s email notifications. A new email type has been added for all modalities to alert users when a daily QC test has not been completed by a certain time of day. Furthermore, FDA EQUIP image quality feedback emails to the technologist have been updated to include more information about the feedback, such as the overall assessment.

Updated technical specifications and complete release notes are available from the Client Center. Contact support@atirix.com with questions or to schedule an upgrade.

--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics, and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners



May 26, 2022
Atirix participates in fluoroscopy quality control research published in AAPM Medical Physics

Atirix participates in fluoroscopy quality control research published in AAPM Medical Physics

May 26, 2022 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces that research from AAPM Task Group 272, which includes members from Atirix, has been published in the International Journal of Medical Physics Research and Practice.

Acceptance testing and ongoing equipment testing for fluoroscopes is subjective and time consuming. This research, titled “Comprehensive acceptance testing and evaluation of fluoroscopy imaging systems” describes and clarifies both required and recommended tests for different kinds of fluoroscopes. The report also contains useful resources such as an example report form.

The Atirix team in conjunction with other Task Group 272 members evaluated different metrics for assessing image quality using dynamic live images and phantom comparison. “Our goal was to distill the most important measures of image quality for fluoroscopy,” explained Angela Snyder PhD, Atirix VP of Advanced Solutions. “Medical physicists can then use these metrics to assess machine performance with minimal expenditure of time and phantom cost”.

By clarifying best practices for fluoroscopy quality control, Task Group 272’s report will help make acceptance and ongoing testing a more streamlined process for medical physicists, saving healthcare systems time and money and ultimately improving image quality.

The paper is available on the AAPM website as part of the April 2022 issue of Medical Physics. It is also available by request from Atirix Medical Systems.

If you are interested in using QC-Track for research and data collection, please contact research@atirix.com.


--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners



January 21, 2022
Atirix announces QC-Track® 5.14 release

Atirix announces QC-Track® 5.14 release

January 21, 2022 (MINNEAPOLIS) - Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces the release of QC-Track 5.14 featuring a new module for diagnostic displays QC, improvements to the Credential tracking module, and enhanced enterprise capabilities including support for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) security.

The new QC-Track Displays module manages QC data for fleets of reading displays and their associated workstations. Quality control test results, device self-check information, display/workstation associations, and other data can be entered by QC staff or brought in automatically via the QC-Connector™ interface from the display vendor’s cloud system. A download workflow is currently available for ongoing sweeps of display QC data from the EIZO RadiNET cloud, and both CSV and JSON file formats are supported.

Several features facilitate display management throughout the display lifecycle, from initial commissioning and testing through ongoing use and eventual decommissioning. Prior to testing, emails notify the reading group, including those with in-home workstations, to ensure workstations are on and available to be tested. After the testing period and data sweep, additional email notifications alert managers of any missed or failed tests. Finally, three new display-specific reports organize the display QC data for inspections and fleet management, including physicist review and sign off.

The Displays module accommodates mixed fleets of mammography and non-mammography displays, accounting for MQSA-specific QC and reporting needs.

"The Displays module really completes the chain of quality control," explained Angela Snyder, PhD, VP Advanced Solutions. "QC isnt just for the imaging unit. If you want to provide the highest quality imaging, then you need to be thinking about QC from the detector all the way through to the pixels on the reading monitor."

QC-Track 5.14 also includes improvements to the Credentials module.  For healthcare systems managing imaging credentials, including those with large numbers of clinical professionals, a new credential workflow greatly expedites credential setup.  In addition, the Credential Administrator capability now includes credential email management improvements to help streamline ongoing administration.

“As regulators continue to increase requirements for ongoing credential management, and healthcare systems face unprecedented staff turnover, credential management becomes progressively more difficult. It's no surprise that reviewing staff credential management has been a priority for inspectors,” said Rania Johnson R.T. (R)(M)(QM), VP, Client Services. “The improvements to our credential tracking module help accelerate implementation and make workflows more efficient, helping our clients to navigate this new landscape and be more confident at inspection time.”

QC-Track 5.14 introduces further capabilities for enterprise deployments in large healthcare systems, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) security compliance and improvements to Windows single sign-on functionality.

Updated technical specifications and complete release notes are available from the Client Center. Contact support@atirix.com with questions or to schedule an upgrade.


--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners



November 29, 2020
Research using QC-Track® for automated phantom analysis in nuclear medicine published in JACMP

Research using QC-Track ® for automated phantom analysis in nuclear medicine published in JACMP

November 29, 2020 (Minneapolis) - Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. is pleased to announce that research using QC-Track® for automated phantom analysis in nuclear medicine has been published in the Journal of Applied Clinical and Medical Physics (JACMP).

This research, titled “Automated phantom analysis for gamma cameras and SPECT: A methodology for use in a clinical setting,” demonstrated that QC-Track’s Automated Phantom Analysis module can be used to quantitatively analyze image quality and resolution of gamma cameras as part of an institution’s routine QC process. The QC-Track module processes the Jasczak and bar phantoms commonly used in nuclear medical quality control and reliably returns results that are consistent with human analysis and have greater resolution.

“We’ve offered automated phantom QC modules for CT, MRI, fluoro, and DR systems for several years now, and our clients are really pleased with the speed and consistency,” explained Angela Snyder, PhD, Atirix VP of Advanced Solutions. “We’re excited to bring these advantages to the nuclear medicine department with the same user-friendly interface our clients have come to expect.”

The research was a collaborative effort between the Atirix Medical Systems research team and the University of Virginia Health System medical physics team.

The paper is available on the AAPM website as part of the November 2020 issue of JACMP. It is also available by request from Atirix Medical Systems.

--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners



November 4, 2019
Quantitative imaging QC for fluoroscopy: efficiency and efficacy improve with automated SNR measurement

November 4, 2019 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Researchers from University of Virginia in collaboration with scientists at Atirix Medical Systems and Virginia Commonwealth University demonstrated that Signal to Noise (SNR) is an effective and efficient quality measure for daily fluoroscopy QC. This result shows that regular image-based QC is a realistic practice for busy interventional labs.

Fluoroscopy is a critical element in many complex medical interventions. However, modern fluoroscopes have become increasingly challenging to evaluate for imaging performance, fluoroscope constancy, and procedure readiness. The QC-Track® software with automated fluoroscopy phantom analysis allows both technologists and physicists to quickly obtain key QC values. With this tool, the University of Virginia Health System was able to evaluate several key QC parameters across scanners and across time, concluding that SNR offered an optimal balance of stability, power, and efficiency.

This research, published as “Signal and contrast to noise ratio evaluation of fluoroscopic loops for interventional fluoroscope quality control” in the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics, is an important step toward establishing a standard fluoroscopy QC method. Lead author Allen Goode, Chief Diagnostic Medical Physicist at the University of Virginia Health System, saw a need for robust, observer-independent QC that would be achievable by technologists in high-patient-volume interventional radiology departments at UVA. QC regulations around fluoroscopy lag far behind modalities such as MRI, CT, Mammography, and Nuclear Medicine. Furthermore, when an interventional radiology suite fails to be usable at procedure time, the impact is high, as these interventions are often critical, urgent, and preparation-intense with both patient anesthesia and surgeon readiness.

Co-author Angela Snyder, PhD, VP, Research, Atirix, adds, “UVA Health has a strong commitment to image quality. They are setting an example for other imaging centers in ensuring image quality and equipment readiness. We are excited to be part of identifying the highest-impact quality metrics and creating methods to make them efficient and accessible enough to be implemented in any fluoroscopy department.”

The paper is available online at aapm.onlinelibrary.wiley.com. The patented QC-Track software is the only comprehensive imaging QC system. QC-Track creates value and ensures image quality for all parties involved in the imaging QC cycle, from QC technologists to physicists to inspectors. Further information about QC-Track and automated phantom analysis is available at atirix.com.

--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners



May 15, 2019
Innovative research using QC-Track® for automated phantom analysis in nuclear medicine accepted for presentation at AAPM Annual Meeting

May 15, 2019 (MINNEAPOLIS) – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. is pleased to announce that an abstract submitted by Erik Tazegul, Atirix Research Analyst, on using QC-Track for automated phantom analysis in nuclear medicine QC, has been accepted for an oral presentation at the 2019 American Association of Physicists in Medicine Annual Meeting taking place July 14 through 18 in San Antonio, TX.

The research, “Automated Phantom Analysis for Gamma Cameras – An Efficient, Accessible, Consistent, and Sensitive Method for Quality Control,” demonstrated that QC-Track’s Automated Phantom Analysis module can be used to quantitatively analyze image quality and resolution of gamma cameras as part of an institution’s routine QC process. The QC-Track module processes the Jasczak and bar phantoms commonly used in nuclear medical quality control and reliably returns results that are consistent with human analysis and have greater resolution.

“Automating the phantom analysis is important for efficiency and consistency,” said Angela Snyder, PhD, Atirix VP of Research. “However, more important are the resolution improvements which make it possible to identify subtle performance changes. This approach addresses the coarseness inherent in the phantoms used in nuclear medicine.”

This research has been a collaborative effort between the Atirix Medical Systems research team and the University of Virginia Health System medical physics team. Erik’s presentation will take place Sunday, July 14 during the nuclear medicine session.

--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners



February 26, 2019
Atirix announces new credential tracking options in QC-Track® 5.9

Feb. 26, 2019 (MINNEAPOLIS) – The QC-Track 5.9 release introduces two new QC-Track®.Credentials™ options to better meet the tracking needs of the entire imaging department.

The QC-Track.Credentials module, originally designed to meet the challenges of mammography credentials tracking, centrally manages ongoing professional credential tracking using automated credential status monitoring with built-in email notices. A new feature allows links to online training to be included in the email reminder to make it easier for employees to stay current.

The Standard offering is a new option to simplify tracking for periodic training and certifications, such as annual radiation safety training. Features include reminder schedules, the ability to attach PDF copies of certificates, and credential reports.

The Enhanced offering adds detailed tracking for CEU/CME and exam counts by modality. The point-in-time and rolling window tracking features simplify compliance with the ACR’s continuing education requirements. Credential renewal dates, CEU/CME thresholds, and exam thresholds are monitored, and personnel are automatically notified prior to expiration or threshold violations. The Enhanced offering meets the complex tracking challenges of mammography, fluoroscopy (per California requirements), and physicist and M.D. credentials. (Please note the “Enhanced” packaging and set of capabilities have been available in QC-Track starting with the original product release in 2008.)

The Specialty offering, also new in QC-Track 5.9, meets the full credential tracking needs of a modality. The initial Specialty offering is “Specialty for Mammography” to meet the tracking needs of MQSA and the additional requirements of FDA EQUIP. For clients who have already licensed the Enhanced credentials offering as well as QC-Track®.Planner™, “Specialty for Mammography” adds additional tracking workflows for FDA EQUIP Questions 1 and 2.

“Regulators have really increased their requirements for ongoing credentials, and our clients keep asking for an answer to department-wide credential tracking needs,” said Rania Johnson R.T. (R)(M)(QM), VP, Client Services. “These new options for QC-Track.Credentials will help our clients tailor their credential tracking for different roles and departments. From the Standard option meeting most needs, like the recent TJC requirement for fluoro training, to the ‘Specialty for Mammography’ option handling all the moving parts that go with FDA EQUIP, QC-Track makes it possible to have centralized, paperless credential tracking for the entire imaging team.”

The QC-Track 5.9 release is scheduled for second quarter, 2019. Contact Atirix for more information, to schedule a Webex demo, and for current pricing.

--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system, originally released at RSNA 2008, is a modular intranet Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners 



December 14, 2017
Atirix announces the QC-Track® release 5.5 with new functions for FDA EQUIP

Minneapolis – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces QC-Track 5.5 is now available.

The patented QC-Track system is an enterprise Quality Control Information System™ (QCIS) with modules for device QC across all diagnostic imaging modalities.  The QC-Track mammography module is a complete device QC tracking and reporting solution for breast imaging centers and has been used by facilities around the U.S. for Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) compliance since 2008. 

FDA EQUIP enforcement starts January 1, 2018.  QC-Track 5.5 provides a streamlined process for EQUIP compliance, with support for each of the three questions of the new FDA EQUIP requirements. 

For EQUIP Questions 1 and 2, the QC-Track®.Credentials™ module has been enhanced with new workflows to log and report on the image quality feedback and image quality review processes, including corrective action logging and built-in feedback notification emails.  In addition, for EQUIP Question 2, the QC-Track®.Planner™ event tracking module provides a system for notifying, scheduling, and tracking QA review events. 

For EQUIP Question 3, a new QC Sign Off desktop is available for the lead interpreting physician to easily review device QC/QA-related reports and documents and perform electronic sign off with EQUIP-specific sign off language.

“We worked closely with a group of our nationally respected clients to refine these new workflows.  And since QC-Track is used in so many MQSA inspections every year, we wanted to make sure inspectors would be comfortable with our approach,” said Rania Johnson, RT (R)(M)(QM), VP, Client Services.  “The result is a fast and easy-to-use process that helps our clients comply with these important new requirements.  QC-Track 5.5 is a timely solution, and everyone wins.” 

For more information on QC-Track for EQUIP support, including infographics, WebEx demos, budgetary quotes, and training, see Atirix.com, email info@atirix.com, or call 877-273-1764.


--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The patented QC-Track system is a modular intranet QCIS for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and QC event tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including many of the largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix. 

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners 



June 30, 2017
Atirix to show new QC-Track® modules for Ultrasound and FDA EQUIP at AHRA’s 45th Annual Meeting and Exposition

Minneapolis – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announced today that it will exhibit at AHRA’s 45th Annual Meeting and Exposition being held July 9 – 12 in Anaheim, Cal. Atirix will reveal the latest release of its flagship product, the patented QC-Track® system, and provide product demos in booth 338.

The QC-Track 5.4 release introduces new capabilities for ultrasound QC, including ACR transducer phantom QC, as well as a workflow to track the ultrasound transducer HLD needed for “semi-critical devices” used for intracavitary exams.

QC-Track 5.4 also includes enhancements to support the new FDA EQUIP process for Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) compliance. Since its introduction at RSNA 2008, QC-Track has been proven annually in MQSA inspections across the country. The latest QC-Track features make the sign off process even more convenient for lead interpreting physicians.

For those attendees interested in the latest TJC requirements, Atirix will also be displaying QC-Track’s enhancements and improvements to phantom QC for CT and MRI. There are also new capabilities for advanced phantom research, including the ability to generate detailed, slice-by-slice phantom data into a data cube for analysis.

--

Atirix offers products to diagnostic imaging centers to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The QC-Track system is an enterprise Quality Control Information System (QCIS™) for paperless device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking and PM/service tracking. Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the 10 largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs. The patented QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

November 17, 2016
Atirix announces the QC-Track® Release 5.2

Minneapolis, November 17, 2016 – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces a new release of the patented QC-Track system is now available for general release.

QC-Track 5.2 includes improvements that broaden the scope and optimize the workflows of QC-Track, reinforcing its capabilities as an enterprise Quality Control Information System (QCIS™).

A new device QC module is now available for ultrasound QC tracking. This workflow accounts for the specific needs of ultrasound base unit and transducer testing by employing barcode tags in a workflow similar to that of QC-Track.Aprons.

A number of improvements in the credential workflow streamline the credential setup and maintenance process, and new credential reports now accommodate more reporting needs.

Finally, this release introduces the capability to support multiple-division operations to make it easier for enterprise installations to manage the components licensed within a division.

Contact the Atirix support team for release notes and to schedule an upgrade.

--

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track® system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics, and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control, and regulatory reporting needs.

The patented QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

September 1, 2016
Rania Johnson, R.T. (R)(M)(QM)(ARRT), Senior Director of Product Management, Earns Certification and Registration in Quality Management from American Registry of Radiologic Technologists

Minneapolis, September 1, 2016 – Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. announces that Rania Johnson, Senior Director of Product Management, has recently been certified and registered in Quality Management by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).

According to the ARRT, candidates for the QM certification and registration must complete the ARRT Quality Management Clinical Experience Requirements, comply with the ARRT Rules of Ethics and pass the ARRT Quality Management examination.

Rania has joined an elite group. As of August 2016, only 1,336 ARRT registered technologists held a Quality Management designation, which is less than 0.5% of the 331,560 total technologists registered with the ARRT.

Rania answered a few questions regarding her QM certification and registration.

How much work was required to obtain your QM?

RJ: It was a lot of work! I attended a three-day seminar at the Advanced Health Education Center in Houston to earn the 16 educational credits and complete the procedural requirements for physicist equipment QC. Then I started working on the five quality improvement projects. These were great, as they had me apply the laws and the QC activities that I was studying. Lastly, I spent a day shadowing an Atirix client for general QC procedures. And, of course, I studied for the exam for about 10 months. I’d always heard that only about half the people who take the exam actually pass it, so I’m really glad to have passed it on the first try!

How do you think what you’ve learned through this process will inform the work you do with Atirix clients?

RJ: My background is as a mammo tech, and I’ve worked with our clients on mammo QC for many years. I think the QM training has given me a much better perspective across modalities on how QA technologists and managers think about the continuous QC activities. Since Atirix has been implementing more enterprise projects lately, having this broader knowledge will help me understand clients’ challenges and provide services that fit clients’ needs.

The ARRT recently announced that the requirements for obtaining a QM designation are changing. What’s your reaction?

RJ: The prepublication indicates that the new requirements will be eliminating the analog and film/screen knowledge. I think this makes sense, since imaging has become more digital, and newer technologists are less likely to have any experience with analog imaging. However, I guess I was surprised to see in the prepublication that ARRT is also proposing to deemphasize the physics aspect of the designation. I think that understanding the physics survey process is an important aspect of understanding imaging QC and why ongoing QC is so important.

Do you plan to pursue any additional certifications?

RJ: No, not at this time. QM is currently the only designation that spans ionizing radiation modalities, so today it’s really the most useful one for me. After all the work I put into this one, it’s going to be a bit before I take on another project like this.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

December 4, 2015
Atirix announces the QC-Track® Release 4.7

Minneapolis, Decmeber 4, 2015 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., a new release of the patented QC-Track system is now available for general release.

QC-Track 4.7 includes improvements to help standardize QC processes and further reinforce QC-Track as the enterprise QC data repository.

One area of improvement is around new scheduling capabilities to more precisely control the QC process and the timeframe during which QC activities are performed, including a worksheet backdating control. A backdating window can now be selectively opened so that worksheets can be backdated only during a specific time period as needed. This helps ensure that QC activities are performed and data recorded during specified time periods.

Another area of improvement is in the precision of email notices, including a new capability to trigger a caution email prior to a scheduled QC activity period expiring and a QC task going overdue. This can be particularly important for time-sensitive QC activities like those found in mammography and Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) compliance.

QC-Track has also been improved in the area of document management. Documents can now be tagged for searching as they are attached. In addition, a new document search page has been added to find attached documents from all areas of QC-Track, including device QC, credentials, aprons and service related documents. This can be particularly helpful during inspections when QC documents and records might be needed from remote locations.

Contact the Atirix support team for release notes and to schedule an upgrade.

--

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track® system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

The patented QC-Track system is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

June 26, 2015
Atirix announces the QC-Track® Educational Series webinars for August, 2015

Minneapolis, June 26, 2015 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces in-depth webinars on the QC-Track enterprise QC platform during August, 2015.

“Quality control practices have been quickly changing in response to the upsurge in regulations and accreditation requirements. This will only continue with the new Joint Commission Diagnostic Imaging Services standards that go into effect on July 1,” said Steve Backes, President and CEO. “These seminars will help imaging QC teams gain valuable new ideas and strategies to address today’s QC challenges and reduce QC risk.”

The presenters will be Rania Johnson, R.T.(R) (M), Senior Director, Product Management, and Angela Snyder, Ph.D., Director of Research.

The agenda for each webinar includes a synopsis of regulations and accreditation requirements, QC-Track product information, a demonstration with specific capabilities by modality, case studies, and an introduction to the advanced QC management capabilities of the QC-Track platform.

The webinar schedule is as follows. All webinars are scheduled for 2PM CDT on the day they are scheduled. Please note that the MQSA session, QC-Track for Paperless MQSA Device QC: FFDM, DBT, Stereo Biopsy, and Inspection Reporting, will be presented on August 4 and on August 19.

  • Tues, Aug 4 2PM CDT (and Aug 19) — QC-Track for Paperless MQSA Device QC: FFDM, DBT, Stereo Biopsy, and Inspection Reporting
  • Thurs, Aug 6 2PM CDT — QC-Track for the RSO: Enterprise Apron Tracking
  • Tues, Aug 11 2PM CDT — QC-Track and Automating the ACR Continuous Quality Control Program, Part 1: CT
  • Wed, Aug 12 2PM CDT — QC-Track and Automating the ACR Continuous Quality Control Program, Part 2: MRI
  • Thurs, Aug 13 2PM CDT — QC-Track and Automating the ACR Continuous Quality Control Program, Part 3: Nuclear Medicine, PET, and Fusion Systems
  • Tues, Aug 18 2PM CDT — QC-Track and the Rest of Diagnostic Imaging: DR, Fluoro, DXA, and US Systems
  • Wed, Aug 19 2PM CDT — QC-Track for Paperless MQSA Device QC: FFDM, DBT, Stereo Biopsy, and Inspection Reporting
  • Thurs, Aug 20 2PM CDT — QC-Track and Tools for Enterprise QC: Enterprise Dashboard, Email Alerts, and PM/Service Tracking

Register at atirix.com. You can sign up for more than one webinar. There is no cost for the webinars.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

May 1, 2015
Atirix announces on-line QC-Track® Training Center

Minneapolis, May 1, 2015 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that interactive online training modules are now available for the QC-Track system.

The QC-Track Training Center is now part of the secure Support Center on the Atirix.com website. Courses and tutorials covering all aspects of day-to-day use and administration of the QC-Track system are available.

“I’m really excited to offer this new service to our clients,” said Rania Johnson, RT (R)(M), Senior Director of Product Management. “Our clients will be able to get answers to all sorts of product questions, and they can do it at their convenience. It will really help clients needing to do those ‘only occasionally’ type tasks they might not remember from training. We see this as a great first step toward offering a full on-line training environment for clients that prefer automated training.”

Atirix client personnel are able to use the Training Center at no charge during the QC-Track warranty and support periods.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

April 30, 2015
Atirix announces AHRA Webinar "Doing More with Less: The Evolving Regulatory Environment and a Centralized Quality Control System” for May 27

Minneapolis, April 30, 2015 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that an on-line webinar, sponsored by the AHRA, will be presented on May 27, 1 p.m. CDT. Please go to ahraonline.org to register.

"Doing More with Less: The Evolving Regulatory Environment and a Centralized Quality Control System”

Joint Presenters:

Steve Backes, President and CEO, Atirix
Rania Johnson, R.T. (R)(M)(ARRT), Director of Product Management, Atirix
Allen Goode, M.S., DABR, Chief Diagnostic Medical Physicist, University of Virginia Health System

Description:

Imaging departments have experienced unprecedented change over the past five years. Scan volumes have levelled off, economic pressures have caused many facilities to reduce staffing levels, and a wave of mergers is resulting in larger overall organizations.

Despite all that there has been a surge of new imaging regulations and accreditations, from sources including the American College of Radiology, the Joint Commission and many states. These new imaging regulations and accreditations typically include requirements for on-going device quality control (QC).

As a result many imaging departments now face QC challenges. It can be tough to know which requirements to follow, much less whether the proper QC procedures are being used on a day-to-day basis. Facilities struggle to find staff to perform the new QC activities. Many facilities, though, still rely on manual processes and 3-ring binders to capture and manage QC data. This can leave imaging managers “in the dark” on the status of day-to-day QC, and vulnerable during inspections.

The Joint Commission has advised facilities to implement a centralized quality control system. A centralized QC system offers the promise of electronic QC workflows, data gathering, reporting, and management overview.

What are the realities of implementing a centralized quality control system?

At University of Virginia Health System (UVA), the medical physics team has worked with radiology leadership to implement a centralized quality system. Using the patented QC-Track® system for device QC, credential tracking, apron tracking and PM/Service tracking from Atirix Medical Systems, the medical physics team has embarked on a staged implementation to deploy a centralized intranet-based system for QC across twelve locations.

In this session, UVA lead medical physicist Allen Goode, M.S., DABR, Atirix President Steve Backes, and Atirix product manager Rania Johnson, RT (R)(M) provide a re-cap of imaging QC regulations including the ACR’s Continuous Quality Control system. They describe the implementation of the QC-Track system at UVA. They discuss device quality control, UVA’s practices prior to the QC-Track system, the functional and technical implementation plans used by the team, operational impact of the centralized QC system, and lessons learned. They provide several operational case studies discussing the workflow changes and impact of the QC-Track system. They also discuss the new types of tracking and radiation safety-related communications and management processes made possible by a centralized QC system.

What will participants learn?

Participants will learn about:
  • recent imaging regulations, including the ACR Continuous Quality Control Process
  • technologies for centralized quality control
  • how to plan for implementing a centralized QC system
  • organizational changes made possible with a centralized QC system
  • the challenges radiology management might encounter when implementing a centralized QC system

Atirix is a Director’s Circle sponsor of the AHRA Educational Foundation.

As part of its support, Atirix is also sponsoring:
  • Lean Six Sigma Workshop, Sunday, July 19, 2015, 1:30 – 5:30 p.m. at the AHRA 43rd Annual Meeting and Exposition, Las Vegas, NV.
  • AHRA Online Institute. Free credits will be available to AHRA members during October 2015.

Be sure to look for the QC-Track system at the AHRA Annual Meeting in Booth #1135.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track system for device quality control, ACR CEU/CME and exam tracking, apron tracking, and PM/service tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

July 28, 2014
Atirix announces Cloud option for the QC-Track® system

Minneapolis, July 28, 2014 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that managed cloud operations are now available for the QC-Track® system.

The Atirix Cloud option includes QC-Track system installation, system management, and backup/recovery on a secured cloud server. Atirix configures the cloud server for the client, restricting user access to only the client’s personnel. Atirix will transfer the QC-Track software and data to the facility at any time during the QC-Track warranty or Support and Maintenance period.

“Our clients want to get the benefits of QC-Track as soon as possible but many IT groups are just too busy, meaning QC-Track installations can get delayed,” said Kevin Onken, Senior Director, Customer Solutions. “Some clients might prefer cloud for on-going operations. Others can use this as a helpful bridge until an in-house server is available.”

Contact Atirix for more information and pricing.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track system for device quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

July 28, 2014
Atirix announces QC-Track® module for preventive maintenance and service tracking

Minneapolis, July 28, 2014 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that the QC-Track®.Planner module will be available in QC-Track 4.3, scheduled for release on September 1, 2014.

QC-Track.Planner is for scheduling and tracking preventive maintenance (PM) and service events. This can include events for equipment with a formal QC process, such as an imaging unit, and also equipment that requires periodic PM but does not have a QC process, such as tread mills in a stress lab. In addition, other recurring and one-time events related to equipment in the diagnostic imaging center can also be scheduled and tracked, including equipment installations, physicist surveys, and inspections and audits.

QC-Track.Planner events show up on the QC Dashboard as they are due, and can also be managed in a calendar view. In addition, service reports and related PM records can be scanned and stored as part of the event, enabling service records to be centrally stored and accessed.

“For the first time all of your equipment and service records can be stored along with device QC records,” said Rania Johnson, R.T., (R)(M), Director, Product Management, “and this is getting more important as the record keeping requirements of diagnostic imaging centers keep increasing. Binders and shared directories just don’t cut it. QC-Track makes it easier, faster and more secure to manage and access this important equipment information.”

Contact Atirix for more information, demonstrations and pricing.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track® system for device quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including six of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use Atirix products for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

June 6, 2014
Atirix QC-Track® at upcoming conferences, including AHRA, AQI, MTMI

Minneapolis, June 6, 2014 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., will be participating in several upcoming conferences, including:

  • August 10 - 13, The AHRA Annual Meeting, Washington, DC. Look for Atirix in Booth 929. Atirix now supports the AHRA, including the Annual Meeting “Lean/Six Sigma Pre-Conference Workshop.” See www.ahraonline.org for more information.

  • September 12 - 13, The 2014 AQI/MTMI Duluth Breast Imaging Conference, Duluth, MN. Atirix now Supports the AQI and MTMI Mammography courses. See www.achievingqi.com for more information.

  • October 4 - 5, The MTMI 18th Annual Mammography Update for Physicists, Colorado Springs, CO. Atirix now Supports the AQI and MTMI Mammography courses. See www.mtmi.net for more information.


Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

January 23, 2014
Atirix QC-Track® at upcoming conferences, including MTMI, SAMS, and WIMP

Minneapolis, January 23, 2014 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., will be participating in several upcoming conferences, including:

  • January 31 – February 1, The MTMI 18th Annual Mammography Update for Physicists, Orlando, Florida. Atirix now supports the AQI and MTMI Mammography courses. See www.MTMI.net for more information.

  • February 1, The Sacramento Area Mammography Society (SAMS) Annual Symposium, Sacramento, CA. See www.sacramentoareamammographysociety.org for more information.

  • February 22 – 26, Winter Institute of Medical Physics (WIMP) Conference, Breckenridge, CO. Atirix is a sponsor of the WIMP Conference. Steve Backes, President, will be presenting “Centralized QC in Practice.” See www.GoWIMP.org for conference information (and www.Breckenridge.com for snow conditions!)


Product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners

July 19, 2013
Atirix announces Two Patents for Device Quality Control Systems

Minneapolis, July 19, 2013 — Atirix Medical Systems, Inc., announces that two patents have issued for quality control systems and methods.

Most recently, U.S. 8,478,610, “Medical imaging device quality control system and method” issued on July 2, 2013. This patent claims the use of QC dashboards and scheduled QC tests to manage the quality control process in diagnostic imaging centers for mammography, Full Field Digital Mammography (“FFDM”), MRI, breast MRI, x-ray and ultrasound imaging systems and related peripheral devices. This patent has 28 claims.

Prior to that, U.S. 8,428,969, “System and method for tracking medical imaging quality” issued on April 23, 2013. This patent claims a computer-based process of performing QC, such as required by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA), in breast imaging centers on mammography, FFDM, MRI, x-ray and ultrasound imaging systems. The process includes completing pre-programmed test worksheets based on a schedule, storing QC data in a database, and generating QC reports for audits. This patent has 17 claims.

Both patents are based on a provisional patent application the Company filed on January 19, 2005.

The complete patent descriptions are available at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Atirix offers products to improve productivity and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations in diagnostic imaging centers, including the patented QC-Track® system for quality control, credential tracking and apron tracking.

Hospitals, clinics and academic imaging centers in more than 30 states, including five of the ten largest U.S. healthcare systems, use the QC-Track system for day-to-day radiation safety, quality control and regulatory reporting needs.

QC-Track is available in the U.S. and Canada from Atirix and Atirix distributors.

For more information please contact Atirix sales at 877/273-1764, sales@atirix.com or www.atirix.com

Product or service names mentioned herin are the trademarks of their respective owners


  Atirix.com uses cookies. Read our Cookie Policy to learn more.

© 2024 Atirix Medical Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.  
Facebook LinkedIn