Basic Physics of Nuclear Medicine

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Nuclear Medicine is a fascinating application of nuclear physics. The first ten chapters of this wikibook are intended to support a basic introductory course in an early semester of an undergraduate program. They assume that students have completed decent high school programs in maths and physics and are concurrently taking subjects in the medical sciences. Additional chapters cover more advanced topics in this field. Our focus in this wikibook is the diagnostic application of Nuclear Medicine. Therapeutic applications are considered in a separate wikibook, "Radiation Oncology".

Note that this WikiBooks is well past its use-by date. Some of the basic physics might still be of relevance, but the technologies and applications chapters need substantial updating.

A companion wikibook on the Basic Physics of Digital Radiography is also available.

1. Atomic & Nuclear Structure
2. Radioactive Decay
3. The Radioactive Decay Law
4. Units of Radiation Measurement
5. Interaction of Radiation with Matter
6. Attenuation of Gamma-Rays
7. Gas-Filled Radiation Detectors
8. Scintillation Detectors
9. Nuclear Medicine Imaging Systems
10. Computers in Nuclear Medicine
11. Fourier Methods
12. X-Ray CT in Nuclear Medicine
13. PACS and Advanced Image Processing
14. Three-Dimensional Visualization Techniques
15. Patient Dosimetry
16. Production of Radioisotopes
17. Chapter Review
18. Dynamic Studies in Nuclear Medicine
19. Deconvolution Analysis
20. Sonography & Nuclear Medicine
21. MRI & Nuclear Medicine
22. Dual-Energy Absorptiometry

The principal author of this text is grateful for the expert editorial assistance of Dirk Hünniger during his German translation of the text and his contribution to the section on the Operation of a 99m-Tc Generator.

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