Cite this article as Diartama AAA, Suswaty S, Priantoro W, Sugiyanto, Sudiyono, Anwar MC, Latifah L, Santjaka
A, Amri F, Mulyantoro DK. The design of radiology viewing box using charger system and
potentiometer. Global Health Management Journal. 2017; 1(1): 10-4.

Global Health Management Journal
www.publications.inschool.id

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Original Research Article

The design of radiology viewing box using charger system and potentiometer

Anak Agung Aris Diartama 1,*, Susy Suswaty 2, Win Priantoro 2, Sugiyanto 1, Sudiyono 1,

M. Choiroel Anwar 1, Leny Latifah 1, Aris Santjaka 1, Faisal Amri 1, Donny Kristanto Mulyantoro 1

1 Postgraduate Imaging Diagnostic Program, Poltekkes Kemenkes Semarang, Semarang Health Polytechnic, Indonesia
2 Poltekkes Kemenkes Jakarta II, Jakarta II Health Polytechnic, Indonesia

*Corresponding author. Email: diartamaaris@gmail.com

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article history:

Submitted 3 May 2017

Accepted 22 June 2017

Background: In the process of work to gain the maximum results, a radiologist needs a

viewing box tool to read radiographs. Therefore, the authors want to develop a viewing

box tool, which in general the work if this tool resembles the factory manufactured tool.

The viewing tool box made can adjust the intensity of the light produced. It uses batteries

as a charger system, so that the viewing box can be used anywhere, especially areas that

have not been reached by electricity.

Aims: This study aimed to create a viewing box tool by using a potentiometer system

and charger system.

Methods: This study used applied research method by creating and using the design of

viewing box tool by using a potentiometer and charger system. Using a Lux meter, the

tool’s feasibility and the quality of potentiometer system were assessed by 15

respondents consisting of five radiologists and 10 radiographers who should fulfill the

questionnaire form.

Results: The results of the questionnaire showed that 100% radiologist gave an A

(excellent) and expressed that the viewing box tool created could be used properly and

90% radiographers provided an A (excellent) and expressed that the viewing box tool

created could be used properly, while 10% radiographer gave a value of B (moderate).

Conclusion: The proposed viewing box tool could be used properly and obtained

optimal results as a tool in reading radiographs. Potentiometer system contained in the

viewing box was very helpful in reading radiographs.

Keywords:

Viewing box

Radiology

Potentiometer

Charger

This is an open access following Creative Commons License Deed – Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

INTRODUCTION

Radiology Installation is one of the supporting

medical installations in establishing the diagnosis

needed in various health facilities. Indonesia is an

archipelagic country and has remote areas far from

adequate health care centers, especially the

availability of radiology installation. Currently the

Government has provided mobile radiology

services to reach these areas, which of course have

been granted permission to use mobile x-ray

machine that has passed the conformity test

(Regulation of Head of BAPETEN No. 9 of 2011).

In Indonesia, especially in remote areas many have

not been reached by the electrical power supply [1].

In the work process of radiology installation,

ionizing and non-ionizing radiation are using as

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11 Global Health Management Journal, 2017, Vol. 1, No. 1

energy sources. In the radiograph science, to obtain

good quality and adequate radiographs, it is

influenced by several factors, among others: the

radiographic techniques, materials, equipment and

techniques of darkroom/ processing. All of which is

interrelated each other, so if one factor is ignored

then the radiographic images produced will be

inadequate. After passing through these stages then

the operator will obtained a yield of radiographs,

but radiographs are not the end of the radio-

diagnostic examination process, without the written

results or expertise from the radiologist then

radiography process can be said to be redundant. In

this case there is a need to implement quality control

and quality assurance standards in viewing the

radiographic images, to support the overall

optimization of the radiography process [2]

Radiographer has a responsible to see the film to

assess its suitability as a diagnostic support which

is often referred to as the image quality. Contrast,

sharpness and the mean of density will be tested

from each other and this is a quality that can be

considered in accordance with the state of the

displayed image. In general, the fewer the number

of odd light, the better the detection analysis of a

radiologist to read radiographs. The film with good

quality is not necessarily better when viewed with

the viewing box that does not meet the standards.

Therefore, the selection of good quality viewing

box is indispensable when planning the radiology

department. There should be a comprehensive

quality assurance program for the viewing box to

obtain good, consistent and informative image

visualization [3]. The display of light intensity of

the viewing box should be able to set in low and

higher lighting so that the detection accuracy when

viewing calcification in the glandular tissue can be

seen clearly [4].

Potentiometer is one type of resistor that the

resistance value can be set according to the needs of

electronic circuits or the needs of the user, it is often

also used in the lamp brightness regulator circuit

(Light Dimmer Circuit) and the voltage regulator in

the power supply (DC Generator). Structurally, the

potentiometer consists of 3 terminal feet with a

shaft or lever that function as the regulator.

Potentiometer as known as resistor with scroll

connection which is made setting voltage divider

[5].

The charger system used in the manufacture of

viewing box tool uses an accumulator / accu.

Accumulator / accu is a device that can store energy

(generally electrical energy) in the form of chemical

energy. Rechargeable batteries that are currently

widely used are accu batteries (lead acid battery)

and the type is lithium ion [6]. Battery with accu

type has a good performance quality, but it has a

problem of a rather heavy weight. [7, 8].

Based on the geographical location of Indonesia

that consists of the islands and there are still many

areas that have not been reached by electricity, then

to support radiological examination to the area, the

authors made a viewing box tool by using a charger

system to facilitate the radiologist in reading the

results of x-ray everywhere though without the

presence of direct electric current. Viewing box tool

is also equipped with a potentiometer that serves to

adjust the intensity of light in the viewing box, so

that the radiologist will be able to read the results of

x-ray more optimally.

METHODS

This study used applied research method by

creating and using the design of viewing box tool

by using a potentiometer and charger system. The

function test was performed by observing the

objects being created. In order to test the

effectiveness of the modified viewing box tool, then

the tool function test experiment would be

conducted at the Laboratory of Mathematics and

Natural Science, University of Udayana and in

some hospitals during March 2009. The data

collection process was carried out by tool test

experiment to measure the color temperature of the

x-ray viewing box by using Lux Meters and it was

also tested in terms of effectiveness, both in

function and other available supporting components

in the viewing box [9].

The instrument used in this study was a

questionnaire addressed to radiology doctors and

radiographers. This questionnaire was used to

obtain the data in order to test the function of the

modified viewing box tool in accordance with the

actual function. The points to be assessed include:

feasibility of the viewing box tool to be used in

accordance with its function, and the added benefits

from the supporting components contained in the

Global Health Management Journal, 2017, Vol. 1, No. 1 12

viewing box. Assessment indicator A meant good,

B meant moderate and C meant less good.

In designing the viewing box the authors needed

tools and materials used in its manufacture, namely:

Electric drill, cable scissors, blade/cutter,

mechanical pens, solder, tin solder, Acrylic (black

and white with 2 mm thickness), power supply,

sandpaper, power cable, black duct tape, LED (light

Emitting Diode), glue gun, potentiometer, resistor

(resistance), on-off switch, step-down transformer

to lower the voltage of AC to DC voltage, dimmer

light (inflows regulators), capacitors, diodes (1

Ampere), relay, head sink, fuse, PCB board.

As shown in figure 1. The process to make this tool

was firstly by sketching on the surface of acrylic, in

accordance with a box that will be created by using

a mechanical pen, did the cutting and created holes

for the placement of equipment/accessories

required. Then the acrylics were arranged/shaped

that have been cut by using glue, thereby there were

formed two boxes with a height of 45 cm, length of

37 cm, a width of 7 cm and a height of 45 cm, a

length of 8 cm, height 7 cm. The rear part of the

viewing box was set to be opened and closed in

order to facilitate the preparation of electronic

series, LED lights and to simplify the tool repair at

any time when the viewing box is damaged.

Figure 1 Acrylic pieces were adhered by using glue

As shown in figure 2. Firstly, potentiometer

electronic system was outside the box before being

placed in the box. This was done to facilitate the

string. Then a series of LED lights that will be used

on a viewing box were arranged with a distance of

between 2 cm-3 cm for each LED (LEDs used here

were as many as 288 pieces).

Figure 2 LED lamps series in the viewing box

For each LED a resistance (resistor) of 220 ohm was

provided in order to restrain the excess voltage that

goes into the LEDs. After the series of LEDs and

resistors was neatly arranged, then the series was

attached in the box that has been made.

When all the components have been set and neatly

arranged in a box, then all of the series were

connected/linked to each other. The film prop was

made on the front side of the viewing box by using

rubber materials or similar material. The final stage

was combining the box with bolts on the both

boxes.

Figure 3 Modified viewing box by using potentiometer

RESULT

The study was conducted from March to May 2009,

to create a viewing tool box by using a

potentiometer system. For viewing box lighting, the

function test of the tool was conducted in the

Optical Laboratory of Mathematics and Natural

Science Faculty of Udayana University.

Measurements were made by using Lux Meter and

showed a mean of viewing box illumination of 220

lux. To know the resilience of the accu when the

13 Global Health Management Journal, 2017, Vol. 1, No. 1

viewing box was started up until the lights of the

viewing box LED by the accu could not be used in

reading the results of x-ray, it was measured using

a stopwatch. It was obtained that viewing box

results could live for 105 minutes and could be used

up to 90 minutes in reading the results of x-ray.

The function test of the viewing box was also

conducted by using questionnaire addressed to 5

Radiology Specialists and 10 Radiographers in

some hospitals to assess the feasibility of viewing

box tool when it was used to read radiographs, and

to assess the available supporting components on a

viewing tool box.

As shown in Table 1, 5 radiologists (100%) who

provided assessment, all of them provided Good on

the Feasibility of Viewing Box Tools Use for

Reading the Results of X-ray Photographs. 10

radiographers who provided assessment for the

feasibility of viewing box use in reading

radiographs, 9 radiographers (90%) provided an A

(good) and 1 radiographer (10%) provided a value

of B (moderate). The results also show 5

radiologists (100%) who were requested in

assessing the potentiometer system contained in the

viewing box, all radiologists marked an A on the

supporting components contained in the viewing

box. 10 radiographers who provided assessment

for the benefits of supporting components

contained in the viewing box, 9 radiographers

(90%) provided an A (good) and 1 radiographer

(10%) provided a value of B (moderate).

Grade
In assessing tool’s feasibility

In assessing the potentiometer

and charger system system

N % N %

Radiologist

Good 5 100 5 100

Moderate 0 0 0 0

Less 0 0 0 0

Total 5 100 5 100

Radiographer

Good 9 90 9 90

Moderate 1 10 1 10

Less 0 0 0 0

Total 10 100 10 100

The study results showed that the light intensity

of the viewing box has met the standard of 220

lux. The whole radiologists who were

respondents in this study provided excellent on

the assessment of the feasibility of the viewing

box in reading the radiographs using charger

system and potentiometer. Whereas most

radiographers who were respondents in the study

provided excellent on the feasibility of the

viewing box in reading the radiographs and using

charger system and potentiometer. The

potentiometer system allowed radiologists and

radiographers to set the required light intensity.

Thus, viewing box can be used optimally in

reading the radiographs, by using accu battery

with charger system, the viewing box could be

used without direct electric current.

DISCUSSION

Radiology viewing box is an assisting tool for

radiologist in reading the radiographs. To be able to

assess the radiographs, feasible viewing box tool is

required. Most of the viewing boxes in Hospitals,

especially in Indonesia have lighting system that

cannot be set. In fact, a good viewing box is a

viewing box whter ich the light intensity can be set

lower and higher to produce high detection

accuracy to view calcification in the glandular

tissue clearly [4]. Therefore, making a viewing box

Table 1. Frequency distribution of the radiologist and radiografer in assessing the feasibility and the

potentiometer and charger system of the proposed viewing box tools used for reading radiographs

Global Health Management Journal, 2017, Vol. 1, No. 1 14

tool with the light intensity that can be set is an

appropriate solution.

Potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a

sliding connection which form a voltage divider

that can be tuned [5]. By using the potentiometer

system, then light intensity on a viewing box can be

adjusted as needed. This viewing box used LED

lights with evenly spread mounting in the box, so

that the viewing box had an evenly spread light

intensity.

The materials used in the manufacture of viewing

box in this study used acrylic material, while most

of the viewing boxes in hospitals use ferrous

materials. The fundamental difference that made

the viewing box in this study was that is was easily

moved because the basic material was lighter. With

the potentiometer system on the viewing box

created it is expected to assist radiologists in

reading radiographs with optimal results. In

general, the fewer the number of foreign light, the

better the detection analysis of a radiologist to read

the radiographs, so it is advisable to reduce light

scattering in the eye in enhancing the performance

capability of the radiologist (3).

Limitation in this study was the size of the viewing

box that was still reserved for 1 big film size

reading, so it is not possible to compare the two

readings on big size X-ray films. Accu battery of

the viewing box could be used optimally for 90

minutes in reading the results of X-ray and must be

recharged.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results obtained, in general the

viewing box tool that was created could be used

properly and obtained optimal results as a tool in

reading radiographs. Potentiometer and charger

system on the viewing box is very helpful in reading

radiographs because it allows to adjust the light

intensity according to user needs and could be used

everywhere without direct electric current.

The advantages of the viewing box made, among

others; it can be made with materials that are easy

to get, lighter because it is made of acrylic, light

intensity can be adjusted by using a potentiometer,

could be used without direct electric current and the

accu battery used here could be recharged.

It is suggested that the viewing box should be

maintained every 3 months by cleaning it and

checking the electrical equipment and the

fluorescence lamps.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

None declared.

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