THE EVALUATION OF A CLINICAL THERMOMETER FOR MEASURING DEVELOPER TEMPERATURE IN AUTOMATIC FILM PROCESSORS

In medical imaging, the temperature of the developer solution in the f ilm processor affects film speed (radiation dose), film contrast, and film base plus fog. The National Council on Radiation Protection and M easurement (NCRP) Report 99 on Quality Assurance, and the American Col lege of Radiology (ACR) Mammography Quality Control Manual for Radiolo gic Technologists, indicate that the developer temperature should be w ithin +/-0.5-degrees-F (+/-0.3-degrees-C) of that recommended by the m anufacturer for the specific film/developer combination being used. Th e accuracy and repeatability of the thermometer is most important. Thi s paper describes the requirements of a thermometer for measuring the temperature of the developer solution and suggests an inexpensive but accurate device for doing so.