BME 6590 Medical Physics

1. Catalog Description (3 credit hrs) Introduces students to the physical basis and
clinical practice of medical physics. Fundamentals of imaging physics and
techniques including radiographic, CT, ultrasound, MRI and nuclear medicine
procedures. Image quality metrics are introduced and the fundamental strategies of
radiation therapy, treatment planning and components of professional development
are studied.

2. Pre-requisites and Co-requisites BME 6535 (co-requisite) or permission of
instructor.

3. Course Objectives- The course is designed to provide a technical introduction to the
profession of Medical Physics. The course has the objectives of having students:

Integrate the theory of radiation physics, detection, statistics, biology,
anatomy/physiology, and safety to address problems in medical physics.
Understand the operation of radiation sources used for various medical physics
applications.
Understand the fundamental principles and acquisition techniques of medical
imaging modalities.
Understand and interpret image quality metrics and apply processing techniques.
Understand the fundamental strategies employed for radiation treatment of cancer
and the associated treatment planning process.
Develop a clear understanding of the requirements for pursuing a professional
career in medical physics.
Develop an appreciation for the ethical, safety, and management cultures within
the practice of medical physics.

4. Co-Instructors
David Gilland David Hintenlang
111 BME Annex 116 BME Annex
352-273-0302 352-273-0301
gilland@ufl.edu dhinten@ufl.edu
Course Materials - Sakai Course Materials - Sakai
Office hours: email for appointment Office hours: Tuesday& Thursday: Periods 4-5
Other times available by appointment

5. Teaching Assistant - None

6. Meeting Times Tuesday, period 6 (12:50-1:40 pm)
Thursday, periods 5 & 6 (11:45-1:40 pm)

7. Class schedule three 50 minute periods per week

8. Meeting Location CSE E112

9. Material and Supply Fees $24

10. Textbooks and Software Required
A. The Essential Physics of Medical Imaging
Bushberg, Seibert, Leidholt, Boone
2012, 3
rd
edition
ISBN 978-1-4511-1810-0
B. The Physics of Radiation Therapy
Khan
2009, 4
th
edition
ISBN 0-781-78856-0

11. Recommended Reading:
MedPhys Listserver
To subscribe, send mail to LISTSERV@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU with the command
(paste it!) in the e-mail message body:
SUBSCRIBE MEDPHYS

Digital Imaging Physics List
https://hermes.gwu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=dximgmedphys&A=1

12. Course Outline

Week 1 [DH]: Introduction to Physical & Biological Principles of Medical Physics
Intro to UF MP program, overview, etc.
Interactions of radiation: Ch. 1, 2, 3 (Bush.)
Applications to imaging
Applications to radiation therapy
Biological responses to radiation: Ch. 20 (Bush.)
Cell killing & Deterministic Effects
Tumor responses (!/") ratios
Stochastic effects and Cancer induction

Week 2 [DH]: Operation of clinical radiation sources
kV sources: Ch. 6 (Bush.)
MV sources: Ch. 4 (Khan)
Radioactive sources: Ch. 15,16 (Bush.)

Week 3-6 [DG]: Image Quality: Ch. 4 (Bush.)
Spatial resolution, Fourier analysis, MTF
Contrast
Noise, contrast resolution
DQE
ROC studies /analysis

Week 7,8 [DG]: Imaging Fundamentals: projection radiography: Ch. 7 (Bush.)
Subject contrast, dose, noise trade-offs:
Spatial resolution/focal spot effect, magnification
Scatter
Image receptors
Digital images and display

Week 9-10: Advanced Imaging Techniques
Computed tomography [DG]: Ch. 10 (Bush.)
SPECT, PET [DG]: Ch. 18,19 (Bush.)
Ultrasound [DH]: Ch. 14 (Bush.)
MRI [DH]: Ch. 12, 13 (Bush.)

Week 11- 13 [DH]: Fundamentals of Radiation Therapy: Khan
Physics of Radiation Therapy
External Beam strategies
Brachytherapy
Treatment planning

Week 14-15 [DH]: Professional Development: ABR, handouts
Certification and Licensure
Ethics in research and clinical practice
Medical events and malpractice

Final Examination: Date to be announced

13. Attendance: On time class attendance is required. Chronic tardiness or absence will
negatively impact the final grade. There is zero tolerance for cell phone disruptions.

14. Grading
Homework 15%
Presentations 10%
Examination 1 25%
Examination 2 25%
Final Examination 25%

15. Grading Scale:
A = 94 100
A- = 90 93.99
B+ = 87 89.99
B = 83 86.99
B- = 80 82.99
C+ = 77 79.99
C = 73 76.99
C- = 70 72.99
D = 61 69.99

Graduate students need an overall GPA of 3.00 truncated and a 3.00 truncated GPA in
their major (and in the minor, if a minor is declared) at graduation. For more
information on grades and grading policies, please visit:
http://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/content.php?catoid=4&navoid=907#grades

16. Make-up Exam Policy Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams,
assignments, and other work are consistent with university policies that can be found
at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx

Make up exams may be scheduled due to extenuating circumstances. The instructor
must be notified in advance.

17. Honesty Policy UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, We, the
members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our
peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code.
On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the
following pledge is either required or implied: On my honor, I have neither given
nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment. The Honor Code
(http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/) specifies a
number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions.
Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic
misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please
consult with the instructor or TAs in this class.

Note that failure to comply with this commitment will result in disciplinary action
compliant with the UF Student Honor Code Procedures.
See http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/procedures/honorcode.php

18. Accommodation for Students with Disabilities Students Requesting classroom
accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. That office will
provide the student with documentation that he/she must provide to the course
instructor when requesting accommodation.

19. UF Counseling Services Resources are available on-campus for students having
personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals. The resources include:
UF Counseling & Wellness Center, 3190 Radio Rd, 392-1575, psychological
and psychiatric services.
Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career and job search
services.
SHCC mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, Personal and
Counseling
Center for Sexual Assault/Abuse Recovery and Education (CARE), Student
Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual assault counseling
Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development
assistance and counseling

20. Software Use All faculty, staff and student of the University are required and
expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do
so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator.
Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary
action will be taken as appropriate. We, the members of the University of Florida
community, pledge to uphold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of
honesty and integrity.

21. Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course
by completing online evaluations at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are
typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be
given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are
available to students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results/.