Cloie and Arwyne

Good day everyone! We are now on our first episode and today we will talk about nuclear
physics that is accommodated in medicine.

But before that let’s define first what nuclear physics is. Nuclear physics is the study of
the protons and neutrons at the centre of an atom and the interactions that hold them
together in a space just a few femtometres (10-15 metres) across. Example nuclear
reactions include radioactive decay, fission, the break-up of a nucleus, and fusion, the
merging of nuclei.

So what does nuclear physics have to do with medicine?

AJ

It is well known that techniques employing nuclear particles and radiation to understand, diagnose
and cure diseases are continuously increasingly importance in healthcare. Much of the
underpinning research and development is carried out in institutes devoted to nuclear physics
studies. Indeed, nuclear physics has since the beginning been characterized by fast implementation
of its discoveries to the benefit of society. Its medical applications constitute the fastest science
transfer from basic research to social applications.

At accelerator-based nuclear physics laboratories the main aim of the research is the study of the
core of the atom – the nucleus – in its many forms and complexities. For this purpose complex
acceleration systems are employed to study a large variety of both stable and radioactive isotopes
in order to understand how the fundamental forces of nature bind the nuclear components
together, and generate the amazing structural and behavioural complexity seen in nuclei. Nuclear
reactors dedicated to scientific research are also employed to make particular nuclear species,
using the neutrons that are emitted in uranium fission.

Nuclear medicine and radiation therapy encompass several aspects which are applications of basic
research in nuclear physics:

• The emissions from radioactive isotopes can be employed as diagnostic tools by creating images
of a patient’s tissues and organs to reveal details of both the structure and function. Radioisotopes
are also used as tracers in pharmaceutical research to study the behaviour of drugs in the body.

• Beams of nuclei, as well as emissions from radioisotopes, can be targeted so as to kill cancer cells
that are otherwise inaccessible or difficult to destroy by other means.

Cloie

To futher explain the different examples of nuclear medicine physics, here is ______________.

Ruther

 Roentgenography A radiograph is a pictorial representation of human anatomy of x-ray

absorption by a three dimensional body onto a two dimensional film. Roentgenography
features the best spatial resolution for high contrast objects. Even so, the vivid contrast is
lost in the imaging of chest, breast and extremities for soft tissue characteristics, due to low
differential attenuation of x-ray photons.
 Radiotherapy

The established clinical practice of racliation therapy uses non-invasive, external ionizing
radiation beams (x-rays, gamma rays from cobalt 60, and electron beams) for the treatment of
tumors and cancer in morbid persons.
Arwyne

And now to explain to us medical physics, let’s welcome ____________

Fritzie

Medical Physics have its three major branches: Diagnostic Radiology, Radiology Oncology and
Nuclear Medicine (Sonography).

Cloie

For our viewers, can you explain what are this three principles mean?

Fritzie

Lets define first diagnostic radiology is an essential form of digital diagnosis imaging that help the
medical physicist to repair and diagnose patient’s illnesses. One example of this is MRI or known
as magnetic resonance imaging is a magnetism scanners helps the medical physicians to
determine illnesses based on a high quality images inside the human body even your hydrogen
molecules.

Arwyne

So, is that the tool used to diagnose tumors and cancers?

Fritzie

Yes, it is. So here is Ruther to explain to us radiology oncology

Ruther

Next, Radiology oncology or the cancer therapy is an essential way of treating patients that is
diagnosed with cancers. Example of this in Radiation therapy: wherein it prevents cancer cells to
grow with the use of proper dosage intake and quarantine for 3-5 days.

Cloie

Ahmm, I think this episode can help us to be aware how physics helped medicine a
lot.

Arwyne

I think so. Lets proceed to our last definition.

Last, sonography or the medical ultrasound is the fond use for patients that is is a diagnostic
imaging technique based on the application of ultrasound. It is used to create an image of
internal body structures such as tendons, muscles, joints, blood vessels, and internal organs.

Cloie
IS THERE ANY FORMULA TO BE USED TO APPLY SONOGRAPHY?

In the diagnostic application of sonography, In diagnostic applications of sonograpby, use is made

of reflected ultrasound waves from interfaces between different tissues in the patient. The part of
the incident energy reflected from an interface depends on the difference in acoustic impedance of
the media on the other side of the interface. The acoustic impedance of a medium is given by the
formula:
𝑧 = 𝑓𝑐
where f is the density of the medium and
C is thevelocity of ultrasound in the medium.
The greater the discrepencies in acoustic impedance of the two
media, the larger part of the incidence beam is determined by the angle of incidence of the beam at
the interface. The higher the angle of incidence, I .e., close to 90°, the lesser the amount of reflected
beam.

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