Physics of Nuclear Medicine Quiz

Nuclear Medicine Imaging

• Nuclear medicine images are obtained by administering a small amount of radioactive material, called a radiopharmaceutical, to the patient, which accumulates in the target area of the body and emits gamma rays.
• The gamma rays are detected by a gamma camera, which converts them into an image.

Absorbed Dose

• The measure of absorbed dose to the whole body in nuclear medicine is the Sievert (Sv).

Collimator

• The purpose of a collimator in a gamma camera is to define the direction of the gamma rays, allowing only those that are perpendicular to the detector to be counted, reducing scatter and increasing image resolution.

Photomultiplier Tube (PMT)

• The main function of a PMT in a gamma camera is to amplify the low-intensity signals produced by the interaction of gamma rays with the detector, enabling the detection of small amounts of radiation.

Pulse Height Analysis

• The role of pulse height analysis in a gamma camera is to distinguish between gamma rays of different energies, allowing the camera to select and count only those that correspond to the energy of the radiopharmaceutical used, and rejecting background radiation.