Nuclear medicine involves the use of radioactive pharmaceuticals for medical diagnosis and treatment. It is a multidisciplinary activity, involving medical physicists, physicians, radiographers, radiopharmacists, nurses and others. The medical physicist provides specialist knowledge, which is essential for the rendering of an effective nuclear medicine service.
The duties of the medical physicist in nuclear medicine involve the following:
Quality assurance
- Scintillation cameras - planar and tomographic tests
- Scintillation counters
- Hardcopy imaging systems
Data processing procedures - software development and maintenance
- Imaging processing systems
- Radionuclide counting systems
Radiation protection
- Personnel monitoring
- Maintenance and calibration of radiation measuring devices
- Internal radiation dosimetry
- General protection responsibilities
Acquisition of new equipment and maintenance of equipment
- Writing the specifications for new equipment after consultation with nuclear medicine physicians and radiographers
- Evaluating the submitted tenders
- Commissioning and acceptance of equipment
Unsealed radionuclide therapy
- Determination of the activity of unsealed sources
- Monitoring of patients treated with radionuclides
Teaching and training
- Post-graduate and in-service training of medical physics students.
- Physicians specialising in nuclear medicine.
- Radiography students.
- Teaching radiation protection to radiation workers.
- Training in the use of new equipment.
Research and development
Management