What is a gamma camera used for in medicine?

What is a gamma camera used for in medicine?

Diagnostic Procedures The gamma camera, also called scintillation camera, is the most commonly used imaging device in nuclear medicine. It simultaneously detects radiation from the entire FOV and enables the acquisition of dynamic as well as static images of the area of interest in the human body [67].

How does a gamma camera work nuclear medicine?

Nuclear medicine uses a special gamma camera and single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) imaging techniques. The gamma camera records the energy emissions from the radiotracer in your body and converts it into an image. The gamma camera itself does not emit any radiation.

How much does a gamma camera cost?

A SPECT scanner gamma camera costs $400,000 to $600,000, while a PET-CT scanner can cost around $2 million.

What conditions can be diagnosed using gamma ray imaging?

Digital signals are produced and stored by a computer when the gamma camera detects the radiation. By measuring the behavior of the radionuclide in the body during a nuclear scan, the healthcare provider can assess and diagnose various conditions, such as tumors, infections, hematomas, organ enlargement, or cysts.

What are the advantages of gamma cameras?

Advantages of gamma rays compared with X-rays

• No electrical or water supplies needed.
• Equipment smaller and lighter.
• More portable.
• Equipment simpler and more robust.
• More easily accessed.
• Less scatter.
• Equipment initially less costly.
• Greater penetrating power.

Is a PET scan the same as a SPECT scan?

The main difference between SPECT and PET scans is the type of radiotracers used. While SPECT scans measure gamma rays, the decay of the radiotracers used with PET scans produce small particles called positrons. A positron is a particle with roughly the same mass as an electron but oppositely charged.

Is PET or SPECT better?

For basic research, PET is the more flexible tool, because innovative tracers are more easily synthesised for PET than for SPECT. In addition, the spatial resolution of PET is better than that of SPECT – far better. This is due to the physical nature of nuclear decay of positrons.

What are the basic components of a gamma camera?

The main components of a gamma camera are:

• the sodium iodide crystal;
• the collimator; and.
• the photomultiplier tubes.

Which diseases are cured with nuclear medicine so far?

Examples of diseases treated with nuclear medicine procedures are hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, lymphomas, and bone pain from some types of cancer. The amount of radioactive materials used in diagnosing illnesses depends on the needs of the person and range from a small amount to a large amount.

How long does nuclear medicine stay in your body?

It depends on the isotope that is being used for your scan. The most commonly used radioisotopes will have left your body within 1 day. Others might take 3 days, and some might take few weeks.

What are the disadvantage of gamma radiation?

When gamma rays pass through the human body, they ionize the tissue. This method commonly kills cancerous cells, but gamma ray ionization can affect healthy cells. When high levels of gamma rays bombard a body, a resulting dangerous ionization of tissue can cause skin cancer.

What is the disadvantage of gamma rays in medicine?

The dangers of gamma rays are not easy to deal with. With exposure to gamma rays, you can be easily affected with the risk of mutations or cancer in tissue. The use of gamma rays have revolutionised radiation therapy. Forthcoming systems are being designed with the aim of “low cost” clinical applications.

Does nuclear medicine have side effects?

Are there side effects to nuclear medicine exams? Very few people experience side effects from a nuclear medicine exam. Allergic reactions are extremely rare. Any adverse reactions are usually mild, pass quickly, and need little or no medical treatment.

What is the difference between PET and nuclear medicine?

PET differs from other nuclear medicine examinations in that PET detects metabolism within body tissues, whereas other types of nuclear medicine examinations detect the amount of a radioactive substance collected in body tissue in a certain location to examine the tissue’s function.

What diseases can nuclear medicine detect?

Nuclear medicine procedures are used in diagnosing and treating certain illnesses. These procedures use radioactive materials called radiopharmaceuticals. Examples of diseases treated with nuclear medicine procedures are hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, lymphomas, and bone pain from some types of cancer.

Is gamma camera and SPECT same?

SPECT (Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography) is a diagnostic imaging technique used in nuclear medicine which studies PHYSIOLOGICAL (FUNCTIONAL) processes in the body. Gamma cameras are used to construct an image of the distribution of radiopharmaceuticals spread out in the body of a patient.