Preventive Care, radiation protection and quality control

Module The physics of instrumentation and devices

The main objective of the lectures is the knowledge of the physics fundamentals of instrumentation useful to medical diagnostics and therapy.

Lectures and tests (entrance, on going and end-of-course verification).

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

X-rays diagnostics: X-rays radiation. X-ray tube. Production of X-rays spectra. X-ray absorption. Radiological imaging. The image intensifier.

Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine: Radioactivity. The radioactive law of decay. Use of radionuclides in medical diagnosis. Effective half-life. Scintigraphy.

Tomographic Images: The anatomical planes. Computed Tomography (CT). Single photon emission tomography (SPECT). Positron emission tomography (PET).

Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Radio Waves. Gyromagnetic ratio and Larmor frequency. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Devices and Magnetic Resonance Imaging systems.

Radiation Therapy: The radiation dose. Therapeutic ratio. Conventional radiotherapy. Brachytherapy and radiometabolic therapy. Radiotherapy with external beams. The LINAC.

[1] Lascialfari A., Borsa F, Gueli A.M., Principi di fisica per indirizzo biomedico e farmaceutico, EdiSES, 2020

[2] Bellia G., Fisica per un anno, 21 spunti di conoscenza, Idelson Gnocchi, 2021

[3] Lecture notes provided during the course.