Nuclear Medicine Imaging

The development of nuclear physics since the first discovery of the atomic nucleus by Rutherford in the early 20th century has been immediately tied to development of new detection techniques, accelerators, theoretical and simulation frameworks. A large number of these, will increasingly find in everyday life, outside the realm of nuclear physics and physics itself. Nuclear medicine imaging uses small amounts of radioactive materials, which are called radiotracers. Radiotracers are typically injected into the bloodstream, inhaled as gas or even swallowed. The radiotracer travels through area of the body that is being examined and it gives off energy in the form of gamma rays which are detected by a special camera and a computer to create imagines

The radiation which is emitted by the body during nuclear medicine imaging are gamma rays. The procedures use a radioactive material, called a radiotracer. What changes have occurred to help improve patients care? Diagram showing the major components of a Gamma ray detector. Y-ray detectors are a key component of all nuclear imaging systems including the gamma camera, the detectors must measure energy accurately and efficiently with a good timing resolution. The history of nuclear medicine over the past 50 years reflects the strong link between government investments in science and technology and also advances in health care, not only in Australia but worldwide. As a result, these investments, new nuclear medicine procedures have been developed that can diagnose diseases non-invasively, providing information that cannot be acquired with other imaging technologies; and deliver targeted treatments. In recent advances in the life sciences, have stimulated development of better strategies for detecting and treating diseases based on an individual’s unique profile, which is called ‘personalised medicine’. The growth of personalised medicine will be aided by research that provides a better understanding of normal and pathological

Use to measure thyroid function, diagnose thyroid disease, and treat hyperthyroidism. A condition where the thyroid gland produces excess amounts of thyroid hormones. As the evolution in the number of PET cameras. It can be seen how PET/CT is now the preferred choice and that the number of PET scanners has sustained a constant growth of the last ten years. The technologies used in nuclear medicine for diagnostic imaging have evolved over the last century, starting with Rontgen’s discovery of x-rays and also Becquerel’s discovery of natural radioactivity. Ultimately these significant technologies have better patient care. All of these technologies have been developed and can only be practised safely with a clear understanding of the behaviour and principles of radiation sources and radiation detection. With the help of modern medicine which benefits tremendously from nuclear physics, both for diagnosis and for therapy. The next generation imaging, with medical imaging is a constantly advancing field, the amount of research for new technologies, detectors, image processing method, high performance computing and developing new radiotracers. Scans helps guide treatment of car accident injuries, cancer, blood clots in the lungs and many