In 1986 Steve Arey became Certified in Biomedical Engineering by the Veterans Administration Department of Medicine and Surgery. In 1990 Steve became the first Certified Radiological Equipment Specialist in North Carolina. Having worked in general diagnostic x-ray and mammography within the Federal Government VA Healthcare system, Steve became concerned about the lack of quality control in general
diagnostic imaging. As a biomedical equipment technician Steve was keenly aware of the required daily quality control requirements for urine analyzers, blood cell counters, blood gas analyzers and even hearing and optical measuring devices used daily in healthcare. This concern drove Steve to research and design a quality control device for general diagnostic x-ray systems. The device is trademarked P+ Visual Image Comparison X-ray Quality Assurance Test Phantom. P+ effectiveness was then proven in a research study performed by a graduate student at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. Kendall Prescott of Exeter, PA won first place in the Derieux Award competition for her poster presentation entitled "Comparing the phantom imaging method with the sensitometric method as a means of testing quality control in the film processor" at the 102nd annual meeting of the North Carolina Academy of Science (2005). This research which has never been done by any other person proved wrong a long standing belief that the human eye was not as effective as sensitometry in identifying changes in density of medical x-ray film. The research also proved a method of comparing the quality of x-ray film/screen imaging with digital imaging by direct measurement, (a resolution phantom). In 1995 the Federal Government created a law called the Mammography Quality Assurance Act (MQSA). This law created a set of standards and requirements for performing mammography. One of those requirements is the processing of an image of a "standard" (ACR) phantom representing a 4 1/2" compressed breast with image details embedded within the phantom. Now, a mammography x-ray machine must be capable of resolving a minimum number of image details within the phantom and also be able to do this within a "window" of radiation dose to the patient. 20 years later, 2015, the Federal Government has created this same requirement for providers of C.T. ( Computed Radiograpy) Legislation called the Computed Radiography https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr3652
