Which device is used to detect gamma radiation from radiopharmaceuticals in a patient?

Which device is used to detect gamma radiation from radiopharmaceuticals in a patient?

• A. CT scanner
• B. Gamma camera
• C. Ultrasound probe
• D. MRI scanner

Answer: (B)

A device designed to detect gamma radiation from radiopharmaceuticals inside a patient is the gamma camera. In nuclear medicine, radiopharmaceuticals emit gamma photons as they localize in organs, and the gamma camera is built to capture those photons and turn them into an image of tracer distribution. It uses a collimator to pick photons coming from specific directions, a scintillation crystal (commonly sodium iodide) to convert each gamma photon into a light flash, and photomultiplier tubes to convert that light into electrical signals that a computer uses to form the image. This provides functional information about how tissues and organs are behaving based on tracer uptake. By contrast, a CT scanner uses X-rays to create anatomical cross-sections, an ultrasound probe uses sound waves to image soft tissues, and an MRI scanner relies on strong magnetic fields and radiofrequency pulses to image anatomy and some tissue properties. Those modalities do not detect gamma radiation, which is why the gamma camera is the correct device for detecting gamma radiation from radiopharmaceuticals.

A device designed to detect gamma radiation from radiopharmaceuticals inside a patient is the gamma camera. In nuclear medicine, radiopharmaceuticals emit gamma photons as they localize in organs, and the gamma camera is built to capture those photons and turn them into an image of tracer distribution. It uses a collimator to pick photons coming from specific directions, a scintillation crystal (commonly sodium iodide) to convert each gamma photon into a light flash, and photomultiplier tubes to convert that light into electrical signals that a computer uses to form the image. This provides functional information about how tissues and organs are behaving based on tracer uptake.

By contrast, a CT scanner uses X-rays to create anatomical cross-sections, an ultrasound probe uses sound waves to image soft tissues, and an MRI scanner relies on strong magnetic fields and radiofrequency pulses to image anatomy and some tissue properties. Those modalities do not detect gamma radiation, which is why the gamma camera is the correct device for detecting gamma radiation from radiopharmaceuticals.