One broad area in which Medical Physicists and Biomedical Engineers make major contributions is medical imaging. Physicists and Engineers are often part of multi-disciplinary clinical and research teams that develop and apply a variety of imaging modalities used in the diagnosis and management of numerous medical conditions. For example, in nuclear medicine patients are injected with trace amounts of radioactive materials, which are selectively taken up in specific organs. Gamma rays emitted by the injected material are then used to form an image of the target organ. The tests are especially useful in diagnosing bone cancer and heart disease.
Other ways to image inside the body resulted from the development of ultrasound scanners in the 1960s, X-ray CT (computed tomography) scanners in the 1970s, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanners in the 1980s, and PET (positron emission tomography) in the 1990s. None of this progress would have been possible without the dedicated work of Medical Physicists and Biomedical Engineers.
The ability to study the function of different organs depends very much on the innovative skills of Medical Physicists and Biomedical Engineers. Here, the goal is to make such measurements with the least amount of patient discomfort; in other words, to use non-invasive techniques whenever possible. In order to meet this objective, physical scientists must understand the physiological processes involved, apply physical principles to measure these processes, and then collect and analyse the data generated. Today, there is available a wide range of diagnostic measurements in medical specialties that include:
One example of physiological measurement, which also includes an imaging modality, is vascular ultrasound. This procedure is used for measuring blood flow throughout the body. It is especially important in detecting the narrowing of arteries in the neck, which puts patients at risk of stroke.
Regional Medical Physics Department, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6BE, UK.
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Regional Medical Physics Department, a Clinical Directorate of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
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