Sensitometric analyses of screen-film systems for mammography exams in Brazil

• Achievement quality control of mammographic films.
• Establishment of a methodology for verifying the quality control of mammographic films.
• Determination of sensitometric parameters of mammographic films utlizados in Brazil.

A determination of the sensitometric parameters of screen-film systems to evaluate their qualities was performed. The quality control of the automatic film processor was carried out to ensure a high level of efficiency. Based on ISO 9236-3, the following potentials were applied on the X-ray tubes: 25 kV, 28 kV, 30 kV and 35 kV. Four different mammography films from different manufacturers with and without screens were tested for curve shape, speed and average gradient. The results indicated that film 1 exhibited better contrast, film 3 demonstrated the highest energy dependence, and film 4 presented the largest base+fog density. None of the four mammographic films tested achieved satisfactory results in all parameters analyzed. Improvements in the manufacturing process for these films must be completed to avoid losses in the image quality.