Medical Physics Flashcards
What is Medical Physics?
Medical Physics is a branch of Applied Physics, pursued by medical physicists, that uses physics principles, methods and techniques in practice and research for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases with a specific goal of improving human health and well-being.
What is a Medical Physicist?
- Medical physicists are professionals with education and specialist training in the concepts and techniques of applying physics in medicine. Medical Physicists work in clinical, academic or research institutions.
- Medical physicists working in clinical environment (clinical scientists) are health professionals, with education and specialist training in the concepts and techniques of applying physics in medicine, competent to practice independently in one or more of the subfields (specialties) of medical physics
What is the STP?
NHS Scientist Training Programme
Entry requirements: Applicants must have a 1st or 2.1 either in an undergraduate honours degree or an integrated master’s degree in physical science.
The STP lasts for three years and involves:
- approved and accredited workplace-based training
- Gaining a master’s degree in a chosen area of work
Once the trainee has completed the STP, they can apply for a registration with the HCPC as a clinical scientist and apply for suitable healthcare scientist posts.
What specialisms are included in medical physics?
- Radiotherapy
- Nuclear Medicine
- Diagnostic Radiology
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Radiation Protection
- Ultrasound and Non-ionizing Radiation
- Clinical and Scientific Computing
What is Radiotherapy?
Radiotherapy is the treatment of cancer with ionising radiation, and can be used as the main form of treatment instead of surgery or in conjunction with the surgical removal of tumours by either decreasing tumour size before removal, or targeting any sections of tumour that may remain after surgery. It is also used in combination with chemotherapy in an attempt to maximise the effect on the tumour tissue.
What is diagnostic radiology?
Diagnostic radiology is a method of finding out what is wrong with a patient by seeing through the affected part of their body using X-rays. A diagnosis is made either from two or three plain X- ray images (radiographs), from a series of images produced by CT (computerized tomography) scanning or moving X-ray images called fluoroscopy.
What is Radiation Protection?
Radiation Protection is the name given to work that ensures any exposure to ionising and non-ionising radiation is reduced as low as reasonably practicable. Ionising radiations can produce changes to living cells, and includes X-rays, Gamma rays and other types of radiation such as protons and neutrons used either in examinations to diagnose diseases, or as a treatment for cancer. Non-Ionising radiations include ultrasound, lasers, ultraviolet, microwaves, magnetic and radio frequency fields (MRI)
How are scientific computers used in a clinical setting?
Computers are an important and integral part of many areas of modern clinical activity. Computer-based medical devices are used in fields such as digital radiology, radiotherapy planning and delivery, nuclear medicine and physiological measurement. The growing benefits of tomography, first with X-ray CT, then PET and Optical (OCT) techniques, together with MRI scanning systems all depend upon computers. Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) can then make the collected images readily accessible to clinicians.
What are the roles and responsibilities of Medical Physicists?
- Establishment and implementation of health care technologies with emphasis on patient diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
- Supervision of radiation protection and safety programs
- Measurement of radiation
- Establishment, implementation, and supervision of quality assurance programs
- Optimization of physical aspects of diagnostic and therapeutic
procedures
Responsibilities of Medical physicists
- Commissioning and supervising the delivery of complex or new clinical procedures
- Technical specification of equipment and design of installations
- Acceptance and commissioning of equipment
- Technical supervision of maintenance
- Research and teaching
What is Nuclear Medicine?
Nuclear medicine is the use of radioactive substances for treating, diagnosing, and monitoring the effects of therapies for cancer patients, and investigating various other medical conditions including heart, and kidney disease.
It can also be used to treat non-cancerous diseases such as hyperthyroidism. Both treatments and diagnoses involve administering radiopharmaceuticals - which are medicines that emit radiation.
What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Non- ionising radiation.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a form of medical imaging that produces high quality pictures of tissues and organs within the body.
MRI is a very safe technique though care does need to be taken to manage the MRI unit safely and to ensure patients are screened for certain medical implants. This screening ensures that the MRI safety status of these medical implants can be determined prior to being scanned.
What is non - ionising radiation?
Non-ionising radiation (NIR) is a term used to encompass all electromagnetic radiation where individual photons do not have enough energy to ionise atoms.
What is an ultrasound?
Medical Ultrasound, the use of high frequency sound waves, is also non-ionising and as such is included in the remit of the non-ionising special interest group (UNIRSIG).
Magnetic resonance, while non-ionising, is a huge area of scientific and medical specialism and so has its own special interest group (MR SIG).
Who is involved in the quality assurance?
- Medical Physicists
- Clinical Engineers
- Manufacturers
- Radiographers
