Nuclear Radiation in Medicine
- Created by: mimidollins
- Created on: 12-05-20 10:17
View mindmap
- Uses of Nuclear Radiation in Medicine
- Exploring internal organs
- Check organ's functioning normally.
- Examples
- Bone scan to check arthritis or tumours
- Examples
- See if cancer has developed
- Use RA tracers
- Properties of RA tracers
- Must emit radiation that can pass out of body and be detected
- Either Beta or Gamma
- Alpha wouldn't pass out through body.
- Mustn't be strongly ionising to protect healthy cells
- Makes gamma emitters good tracers
- Mustn't decay into another RA isotope
- Half-life long enough to create image but short enough to decay completely shortly after.
- Present in body for short period of time.
- Must emit radiation that can pass out of body and be detected
- Properties of RA tracers
- Gamma cameras outside body take pics by detecting radiation from RA isotope absorbed by organ.
- Check organ's functioning normally.
- Controlling or destroying unwanted tissue
- Using ionising radiation (radiotherapy)
- Healthy tissue may also be damaged.
- RA source can be inside or outside body.
- Inside
- Embed implant next to or in tumour
- RA rods to treat prostate cancer
- RA targetted precisely to tumour
- Less damage to healthy tissue
- RA targetted precisely to tumour
- Contain RA source
- RA rods to treat prostate cancer
- Embed implant next to or in tumour
- Outside
- Gamma rays pass into body and destroy tumour.
- Inside
- Powerful gamma source produce thin beam of radiation
- Often overlapping beams.
- Beams less powerful. Only tumour getting full dose. Protect healthy tissue.
- Often overlapping beams.
- Nurses wear badges to monitor radiation they receive. Normally stand behind lead screen.
- Using ionising radiation (radiotherapy)
- Sterilising medical equipment.
- scalpels,
forceps, etc, are cleaned with steam and then exposed to high levels of gamma
radiation.
- Kills any bacteria left.
- Doesn't become RA
- scalpels,
forceps, etc, are cleaned with steam and then exposed to high levels of gamma
radiation.
- Exploring internal organs
Comments
No comments have yet been made