The development of nuclear medicine imaging

Abstract

Great progress has been made in nuclear medicine imaging during the forty years this imaging modality has existed. Advances have been made both in the area of instrumentation and radiopharmaceuticals. The development started with a single detector system but now imaging devices can produce tomograms displayed three-dimensionally on graphic monitors. The general trend in the production of radiopharmaceuticals has been the development of highly specific compounds for mapping of biological structures and functions.

Key Words:

• SPECT
• instrumentation
• attenuation
• scatter
• brain imaging
• heart imaging
• tumour imaging