Ultrasound%20Guidelines%20Council%20Overview

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Ultrasound Guidelines Council Overview

• Loren C. Jackson

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Ultrasound Overview

• Ultrasound utilized in cattle research in 1950s.
• Live Animal Ultrasound Evaluation for carcass
  traits surged in the 1980s.
• Driven by decline in beefs market share,
  consumer driven programs, focus on end product
  and value based marketing systems.

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Potential of Real-time Ultrasound

• Demand for genetic evaluation of carcass traits.
• Inability to measure carcass traits on breeding
  animals.
• Reduce dependency on progeny testing and shorten
  time interval required for evaluation.
• Incorporate ultrasound into structured National
  Cattle Evaluation program.

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Ultrasound Issues (1980s-1990s)

• Hardware
• Software
• Scan Procedures
• Optimum Scan Age
• Technician Accuracy
• Data Interpretation
• Adjustment Factors
• Certification
• Ultrasound/Carcass Relationships
• Validation

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BIF Role

• Topic dominated the Live Animal Evaluation
  Committee for many years.
• Assumed the leadership role in addressing the
  many issues concerned with the science.
• Initiated development of technology validation
  and standardization of technician certification.
• Influential in enhancing the science for producer
  application.

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Entities Involved in Advancing Ultrasound
Technology

• BIF
• University Research
• Industry Companies
• AUP Animal Ultrasound Practitioners Assn.
• APTC Animal Proficiency Testing and
  Certification (UGC)

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Ultrasound Guidelines Council (UGC) Purpose

• To develop and maintain a governance structure
  and protocol for annual proficiency testing and
  certification for technicians involved in
  ultrasound scanning of beef cattle for
  composition traits and interpreting images used
  in national cattle evaluation programs.

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UGC Protocol

• The U.S. Beef Breeds Council determines the
  structure of the UGC.
• UGC is responsible for developing, maintaining
  and governing proficiency testing protocol and
  standards for beef cattle ultrasound
  certification.

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UGC Structure

• The council is composed of
• Four beef breed organization representatives
  appointed by the U.S. Beef Breeds Council.
• Three university persons involved directly in
  ultrasound research and national cattle
  evaluation programs using ultrasound data.
• One active field ultrasound technician.
• Up to three representatives from centralized labs
  meeting the UGC definition for a centralized lab.

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Centralized Processing Facility

• An ultrasound interpretation organization that
  works with two or more field technicians, serves
  two or more beef breed associations, employs two
  or more laboratory interpretation technicians,
  and process 4,000 or more images annually.

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UGC Responsibilities

• Establish dates for periodic technician
  proficiency certification programs.
• Select host(s) to provide the facilities and
  other resources necessary to conduct the
  ultrasound technician certification program.
• Develop and maintain all UGC protocol and
  proficiency standards.
• Assemble the necessary personnel to oversee the
  certification process and analyze the proficiency
  testing and certification results.

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UGC Responsibilities Cont.

• Provide overall financial management of funds
  collected and utilized for conducting
  certification process.
• Maintain an official web site for the UGC that
  includes schedules and lists of certified field
  and laboratory technicians.
• Develop and maintain standards for testing and
  certifying new or enhanced real-time ultrasound
  scanning hardware and interpretative software.
• Develop and maintain standard guidelines for
  centralized data reporting formats, data storage
  and maintenance

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UGC Operations

• Each participating group that benefits from the
  activities of UGC pays an annual fee.
• Breed Associations
• Centralized Processing Facilities
• Field Technicians
• Laboratory Technicians

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UGC Board

• Donna Watson, Administrative Secretary
• Robert Williams, Ph.D., Chairman,
  American-International Charolais Assn.
• Loren Jackson, International Brangus Breeders
  Assn.
• Kent Anderson, Ph.D., North American Limousin
  Foundation
• Bill Bowman, American Angus Assn.
• Becky Hays, UltaInsights
• Mark Henry, National Cup Lab
• Rethel King, International Livestock Image
  Analysis
• Scott Geiner, Ph.D., Virginia Tech University
• Dan Moser, Ph.D., Kansas State University
• Lisa Kriese-Anderson, Ph.D., Auburn University
• Andy Meadows, DVM, Springwood Livestock
  Management

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Web Site www.aptcbeef.org

• List of Certified Field Technicians
• List of Certified Lab Technicians
• List of Centralized Processing Labs
• UGC Certification Guidelines
• Ultrasound Certification Study Guide

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Certification

• Host Two Certifications Per Year Spring Fall
• June 8-9 13-15, 2006
• National Cup Lab/ISU
• Ames, IA
• September 13-15 20-22, 2006
• University of Georgia
• Athens, GA

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Proficiency Testing

• Two types are available
• 1. Image Collection (field certification)
• - 12-13th Rib Cross Sectional Image
• - Intramuscular Fat Images
• -Rump Image
• 2. Laboratory Interpretation (lab certification)
• - Image quality assessment as well as performing
  measurements for ultrasound traits.

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Certification Protocol

• Individuals are Certified as Field and/or
  Laboratory Technicians.
• All Technicians Must Pass a Written Exam.

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Certification Protocol

• Insure fair and unbiased testing of technicians,
  equipment, and software used for the collection
  and interpretation of images.
• Field Technicians scan approximately 20 animals
  and then repeat scanning the same animals in
  random order so that repeatability can be
  evaluated.
• Two certified reference technicians scan the
  cattle for statistical comparison.

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• Certification Animals are Harvested
• Carcass Data Collected
• Rib Samples are Collected for Ether Extract IMF
  Chemical Analysis.
• Ultrasound Technician Data and Carcass Data
  Compiled for Statistical Analysis.

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Statistical Data Utilized For Certification

• Acceptable Images
• Image Quality
• Standard Error of Prediction
• Standard Error of Repeatability
• Bias
• Correlation

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Ultrasound Certification Standards

• Percentage of Acceptable Images Required to Pass
  Certification
• 95 for rump fat
• 85 for rib fat, ribeye area and IMF

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Ultrasound Certification Standards Cont.

  Standard Error Standard Error Bias
  of Prediction of Repeatability Bias
Rump fat thickness, in. ( .0751 (.04) 2 ( .075 (.04) ( ( .05 (.00)
Fat thickness, in. ( .075 (.04) ( .075 (.04) ( ( .085 (.00)
Ribeye area, sq. in. ( 1.1 (.70) ( 1.1 (.70) ( ( 1.0 (0.0)
Intramuscular fat, ( 1.0 (.80) ( .75 (.60) ( ( .7 (0.0)
1 Minimum accuracy standards.
2 Highly skilled accuracy levels.
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Summary

• Highly skilled real-time ultrasound technicians
  can accurately predict live animals for carcass
  merit.
• Real-time ultrasound has proven to be a valuable
  tool in genetic selection as an indicator of
  carcass related traits.
• Ultimately the objective is that the technology
  will continue to enhance the end product for the
  consumer.