The Role of Physics in Nuclear Medicine

Detector techniques developed for nuclear and particle physics have wide application in nuclear medicine, both imaging and treatment. SPECT and PET scans are now the subject of everyday conversation, but how do they work, and what are we doing to make them better? This talk will provide an introduction to the topic, with a particular focus on (a) the prospects for low-dosage techniques arising from developments in Compton imaging and (b) the DEPICT system for performing real-time dosimetry in radionuclide therapy.