Unit 20 Medical Physics Assignment

Unit 20 Medical Physics Assignment

Assignment titleRadionuclide and diagnostic imaging

Understand the uses radionuclides in diagnostic imaging

Scenario

There is currently a shortage in the number of medical physicists working within the NHS. You are a medical physicist working in the radiology department of the Royal Marsden Hospital and have been approached by the Open University to help them set up an access course. The course will be designed to retrain existing hospital workers in medical physics techniques so that they can fill the shortage. The OU will provide and carry out the assessment but would like you to produce the learning information.

1.      The fourth module is to be on Radionuclide and diagnostic imaging and should include the following:

Task 1

(a) A step by step method from radionuclide generation to radiopharmaceutical product including chemical equations where appropriate.

A labelled diagram to accompany your description.

A description of the quality control procedures and an explanation of why they are necessary

A description of what sterile and apyrogenicity are and an explanation of why we would want radio pharmaceuticals to have both of these qualities.

(b) There are many different detectors used in radionuclide imaging within medical physics. Add to the work that you have done in section 1 by creating a table comparing the most commonly used detectors and what they are used to detect.

(c) Choose one of these detectors and briefly describe how it works (do not choose the gamma camera)

This provides evidence for [P3]

Task 2

a) A description of what a gamma camera is, what it is used for and when it would be used. Make sure you explain the role of radiopharmaceuticals at this point. You can use any specific medical scenario if it helps

b) A labelled diagram of a gamma camera including all of the main components.

c) An explanation of how it works. Make sure that you mention all of the components from your diagram and link your explanation back to the function of the gamma camera

This provides evidence for [P4]

Task 3

Carry out background research into a range of the pharmaceuticals that are used in medical imaging. For each one that you identify describe and then compare the:

a)       Use

b)       Biological properties

c)       Radiological properties

This provides evidence for [M2]

Task 4

Using the research that you have carried out to achieve M2, evaluate why each radiopharmaceutical has been chosen for their specific use above all other radiopharmaceuticals.

This means state and explain  the advantages and disadvantages associated with using each radiopharmaceutical.

This provides evidence for [D2]

Evidence checklist [Summarise evidence required, e.g. ‘leaflet’, ‘presentation notes’ etc.] [tick boxes]Description of how radionuclides are produced & detected Annotated diagram of gamma camera operation Comparison of the properties of different radionuclides Evaluation of the uses of various radionuclides.Order Now