TECHNICAL BULLETIN 06-004

FAILED FOCUS TROUBLESHOOTING

1 Initial Information
Product: All systems
Technical Bulletin Number: 06-004
Priority: n/a
Category: Troubleshooting Procedure
Issue Date: March 8, 2007
Units Affected: All units
Deadline Date: n/a

Please ensure all personnel working on IDC equipment are notified about this
important bulletin.
If you have any questons or concerns, please call the IDC Help Desk, toll-free
1-866-XPLORER (1-866-975-6737) or e-mail service@imagingdynamics.com.
This bulletin can also be downloaded through the IDC tracking site under the project of
IDC-Service Technical Bulletins.

Imaging Dynamics Company • March 21, 2007 • Technical Bulletin: 06-004 v1.0
 2 • Revision History

2 Revision History

Revision
Revision Date Details
Number

Draft March 21, 2007 Draft approved

1.0 March 21, 2007 Document released

3 Issue Description
When a Detector Head fails due to poor focus, a number of questions and tests must be
performed to help determine what has gone wrong. This procedure describes many of these
questions/tests and explains why they are necessary.

4 Resolution Description
Answer the following questions and perform the following test procedure to help IDC Service
Technicians determine why the focus failed.

5 Materials and Tools

• Delcano software
• High contrast resolution linepair target (preferrably more than one)

6 Safety Considerations
N/A

7 Work Instructions

7.1 Typical Test Procedure

The following procedure is a summary of the High-Contrast Resolution section of the

Acceptance Testing Procedure. Ensure that all these steps are being completed correctly when
taking resolution images.
1. Ensure the Detector Head has thermally stabilized. The lens on the Detector Head takes
many hours to stabilize after being exposed to extreme temperatures. We recommend
opening the Detector Head crate but keeping the bag inside sealed for at least half of a day
while acclimatizing to the new room temperature.
2. Open Delcano. If Magellan has been opened, exit the application before opening Delcano.
3. Turn off Geometric Correction by unchecking Apply Geometric Correction.

Imaging Dynamics Company • March 21, 2007

 Work Instructions • 3

4. Set the Integration Time to 4000 ms.

5. Remove the Grid. Grids must be removed for focus images.
6. Place the line pair at a 45° angle to the edge of the faceplate. If the corner focus is the
problem, ensure the line pair is orientated radially outwards. Imagine a line from the centre
to the corner and ensure the line pairs are parallel to that line. See Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1

7. Set the Anatomy to Calibration/High Contrast.

8. Ensure the camera temperature has stabilized to -10°C. It is a good idea to wait at least 10
minutes after the camera has reached -10°C before taking images.
9. Expose the linepairs at a technique of 50 kVp, small focal spot, and enough mAs to result
in the DNs to be more than about 3000 and less than about 13000. For 180 cm SID, this is
generally 40 mAs.
10.Sharpen the image by selecting Enhance. In the Sharpen dialog box, select Box Car
Unsharp, and then move the sliders for Sharpening Strength to 10 and Sharpening
Kernel to 0. It is important to select the method first with the drop down box and then to
set the values with the sliders.
11.View a sharpened image. A linepair is considered resolved if three solid lines can be seen.

Imaging Dynamics Company • March 21, 2007

 4 • Work Instructions

7.2 Additional Test Procedures

1. Take a resolution image with the Flat Field and Dark Field corrections turned OFF. The
resolution should be less (about 0.2 lp/mm) than the resolution with the Flat Field and Dark
Field corrections turned ON. If there is a significant resolution difference between Flat
Fields and Dark Fields being ON or OFF, then this could point to a problem with the Flat
Field corrections. If there is no difference, then continue using the Flat Field and Dark Field
corrections.
2. Take an uncorrected image (no Flat Field/Dark Field, or geometric correction) of free air,
collimated wide open. Save it as "XrayNoCorr" to be uploaded later. Look at the image to
see if anything odd occurred.
3. Take note of the corner focus. If the corner focus is out, move the tube (if applicable) to be
centered on the corner line pair. If you get a good result, the Detector Head is capable of the
correct focus.
4. Turn the TEC off and wait 5 minutes before taking another focus image. The focus should
change dramatically. If it doesn't, then there is something wrong with the cooling of the
camera.

7.3 Questions

The following questions will help IDC determine why the focus failed. Record all answers/
results in an issue on the IDC tracking site.
1. What is the Detector Head's serial number? Recording the serial number is essential for
determining when the Detector Head was made, what type of camera is involved, etc.
2. Is this a newly installed Detector Head or a replacement? If it is a replacement, why was the
original Detector Head replaced and were there any concerns with the replacement
procedure (e.g., was the gain/offset recalibrated)?
3. Specifically, what has failed? The centre focus, the corners, or all? What is the resolution in
all 5 locations (centre and 4 corners)?
4. What is the room temperature/humidity? Nominal room temperature is between 15°C and
30°C. A highly humid room may cause concerns due to condensation.
5. What is the software version?
6. What stand/table is the Detector Head installed onto? If applicable, does the focus change
between chest and table position?
7. What is the HVL? An abnormally high or low HVL may cause concern. The specification
for the Xplorer is a HVL of between 2.5 mm and 2.9 mm Al at 80 kVp.
8. What is the TEC voltage (TECV)? If the voltage is equal to 0 V or above 8 V, this is a
concern.

Imaging Dynamics Company • March 21, 2007

 Contact • 5

8 Contact
North American Contact
Imaging Dynamics Company
151, 2340 Pegasus Way, NE
Calgary, Alberta
T2E 8M5, Canada
IDC Help Desk, toll-free 1-866-XPLORER (1-866-975-6737)
E-mail service@imagingdynamics.com.
Fax 403-251-1771

European Contact
IDC Europe B.V.
Victorialaan 15, 5213 JG, s-Hertogenbosch
The Netherlands
Tel: +31(0)73 751.1742
Fax: +31(0)73 751.1744

Asian Contact
IDC Beijing Rep Office
Room 1007A China Resource
No. 8 Jianguomenwai Bei Avenue
Beijing 100005, China
Tel: 00.86.10.85192196
Fax: 00.86.10.85192198

Imaging Dynamics Company • March 21, 2007