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Diagnostic imaging in Nuclear Medicine (NM) - mod. EQUIPMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL IN MN
MARCO DE MARCO

Seat Medicina e Chirurgia
A.A. 2013-2014
Credits 2
Hours 20
Period 2^ semestre
Language ENG
U-gov code MT07-11-11 MT040

Prerequisites
No requirements are requested

Development of the course
This course introduces concepts and theory of radioactivity and describes devices and methods used to perform a radioactive measurement. The person also learns how to perform quality controls on technetium generator, dose calibrator and Gamma cameras.

Learning outcomes
attending the course student will be able to perform - a measurement of individual and environment (surfaces) contamination, - Quality controls on both technetium generator and Gamma cameras, - Exercises on radioactive Decay.

Program
Atomic structure (components and elementary particles). • Radioactivity (Discover of radioactivity and different type of decay:  Penetration range in matter and critical organs. Exercises). • The Law of radioactive Decay and definition of Activity and half-life period. Exercises. • Basic Physics of interaction of radiation with matter (Photoelectric effect, Compton effect, Pair production, X-ray generation). • Radiation Measurement: Devices and Methods (Radiation detectors, Ionization chamber, Geiger-Müller (GM) tube). • Scintillation counters (solid crystal of sodium iodide and doped sodium iodide). photomultiplier tube (PMT) and basics about their energy and efficiency calibrations. • Technetium Generator (elution process and residual activity). • Physics of nuclear medicine Imaging Systems: Gamma camera (single-headed and tomographic SPECT) (Collimator, crystal, photomultiplier tubes). Acquisition methods and signal processing procedures (FBP, OSEM). • Quality controls (technetium generator, dose calibrator and Gamma cameras). • Physical principles of PET Imaging (Detectors and photomultipliers). PET events (coincident events, scatter, random and multiple events). • Principles of Radiation protection. External irradiation and internal contamination. • How to perform a measurement of individual and environment (surfaces) contamination. Decontamination and cleaning procedures.

Development of the examination
Oral examination. Resolution of a written exercise can also be asked.

Recommended reading
a) Basic Physics of Nuclear Medicine – K. Maher and other - Wikibooks b) PET: Physics, Instrumentation and Scanners - Michael E. Phelps – Sprinter

Courses

• Tecniche di Radiologia Medica, per Immagini e Radioterapia