Name: Adewale Eletu P4
Assessor name: Michael Hickey
In this assignment, I will be explaining the role of pharmaceutcals within the operatng principles of
the gamma camera.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF GAMMA CAMERA
Gamma cameras are pieces of apparatus which allow radiologists to carry out scintgraphy scans,
tests which provide detailed diagnoses about the functoning of the thyroid, the heart, the lungs and
many other parts of the body. Gamma rays are produced by unstable nuclei when protons and
neutrons rearrange to a more stable confguraton. The emission of a single gamma ray is a very
small-scale nuclear phenomenon.
The gamma camera consists of many parts which functon together to perform this partcular task.
The role of the gamma-camera head is to amplify microscopic radiaton into an electric signal that
can be detected and measured. By exploitng a large number of readings of these electric signals,
one can determine whether or not there is a problem with a patentts organ.
While operatng the gamma, the patent is given a radiopharmaceutcal molecule marked with a
gamma-emitng radioisotope. The most commonly used tracer is technetum-99m, (m - metastable
nuclear isomer), with a relatvely long half-life of 6 hours. Technetum-99 is also widely used because
of its ability to be easily included into a variety of biologically actve molecules to target diferent
systems within the body. Once the molecule fxed on the target organ or tssue, the highly
penetratve emited gamma rays easily escape from the body and leave their mark on the detecton
panels. As it travels through the body and emits radiaton the tracerts progress is tracked by a crystal
that scintllates in response to gamma-rays. The crystal is mounted in front of an array of light
sensors that convert the resultng ash of light into an electrical signal. A very small quantty of
radioactve isotope is all that is needed, as the detecton systems are sensitve enough to register the
decay of individual atoms.
Furthermore, scintgraphies taken at diferent angles are obtained by rotatng the camera. Then, by
combining these planar images, it is possible to reconstruct, tomographies, 3-dimensional spatal
images. The basic informaton is typically presented as cross-sectonal slices through the patent.
Figure 1: Typical gamma camera system
htps://radiologykey.com/wp-content/
uploads/2016/03/
B9780323073233500205_f34-08-
9780323073233.jpg
The gamma camera detects scintllatons produced by gamma rays emited by a radioactve marker.
The impact of these gamma rays on a sodium iodide crystal generates scintllatons that are detected
by photomultpliers. Once a large number of these scintllatons have been observed, the radioactve
emiters of these gamma rays can be located.
Assessor name: Michael Hickey
In this assignment, I will be explaining the role of pharmaceutcals within the operatng principles of
the gamma camera.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF GAMMA CAMERA
Gamma cameras are pieces of apparatus which allow radiologists to carry out scintgraphy scans,
tests which provide detailed diagnoses about the functoning of the thyroid, the heart, the lungs and
many other parts of the body. Gamma rays are produced by unstable nuclei when protons and
neutrons rearrange to a more stable confguraton. The emission of a single gamma ray is a very
small-scale nuclear phenomenon.
The gamma camera consists of many parts which functon together to perform this partcular task.
The role of the gamma-camera head is to amplify microscopic radiaton into an electric signal that
can be detected and measured. By exploitng a large number of readings of these electric signals,
one can determine whether or not there is a problem with a patentts organ.
While operatng the gamma, the patent is given a radiopharmaceutcal molecule marked with a
gamma-emitng radioisotope. The most commonly used tracer is technetum-99m, (m - metastable
nuclear isomer), with a relatvely long half-life of 6 hours. Technetum-99 is also widely used because
of its ability to be easily included into a variety of biologically actve molecules to target diferent
systems within the body. Once the molecule fxed on the target organ or tssue, the highly
penetratve emited gamma rays easily escape from the body and leave their mark on the detecton
panels. As it travels through the body and emits radiaton the tracerts progress is tracked by a crystal
that scintllates in response to gamma-rays. The crystal is mounted in front of an array of light
sensors that convert the resultng ash of light into an electrical signal. A very small quantty of
radioactve isotope is all that is needed, as the detecton systems are sensitve enough to register the
decay of individual atoms.
Furthermore, scintgraphies taken at diferent angles are obtained by rotatng the camera. Then, by
combining these planar images, it is possible to reconstruct, tomographies, 3-dimensional spatal
images. The basic informaton is typically presented as cross-sectonal slices through the patent.
Figure 1: Typical gamma camera system
htps://radiologykey.com/wp-content/
uploads/2016/03/
B9780323073233500205_f34-08-
9780323073233.jpg
The gamma camera detects scintllatons produced by gamma rays emited by a radioactve marker.
The impact of these gamma rays on a sodium iodide crystal generates scintllatons that are detected
by photomultpliers. Once a large number of these scintllatons have been observed, the radioactve
emiters of these gamma rays can be located.
