How is Nuclear Energy Applied in the Medicine Industry?

The medicine industry applies nuclear energy within a number of procedures and treatment protocols. The nuclear properties of matter provide a powerful source of energy within imaging and diagnostic procedures. Further developments within the field look to use this energy as a means to diagnose conditions at the cellular-molecular level.

Identification

• Work within the field of nuclear energy involves the use of isotopes, or radioactive materials. Radioactive materials are a source of gamma rays, which are light rays that fall within the upper levels of the electromagnetic spectrum. Isotopes are atoms derived from atomic elements. To create an isotope, the atomic structure of an atom is destabilized. This entails colliding two atoms together, which causes portions of the atom to detach. When this happens, energy is released in the form of gamma rays. The energy from gamma rays has found a number of uses within the medicine industry.

Function

• The use of nuclear energy within the medicine industry is practiced within a specialty field called nuclear medicine. Within this field, illnesses are diagnosed and treated using the energy generated by radioactive materials These materials are used within imaging devices that generate a picture of the body's internal processes. And while X-rays, MRIs and CAT scans can also produce internal images, the imaging devices used in nuclear medicine can portray actual processes taking place in the body as well. Nuclear materials are also used in cases where exploratory surgery may be needed to locate abnormal formations within the body.

Radioactive Substances

• The field of nuclear medicine makes use of radioactive substances to detect abnormalities in bone and body organs. These procedures entail injecting the patient with a radioactive material that's designed to react to specific fluids within the body--these materials are called radioisotopes. Certain bodily fluids that indicate the presence of a cancer formation, or other disease-type formation, will cause these isotopes to emit gamma rays. Imaging devices are then used to record the areas in which these reactions take place. Radioisotopes can also be designed to destroy cancerous cells without damaging surrounding tissue.

Imaging Devices

• Imaging techniques used within the medicine industry generate detailed, three-dimensional images that can record processes taking place inside the body. This capability allows medical specialists to pinpoint what areas of a particular bodily system are malfunctioning. There are two types of imaging devices used within the field of nuclear medicine. A PET scan, or positron emission tomography, is a device that's used to record injected radioisotopes that have a short life span (the life span of an isotope is determined by how long it takes for it to decay, or burn out). SPECT scans--or single photon emission computed tomography--are devices used with isotopes that have longer life spans. SPECT scans produce less detailed images than PET scans because of the type of isotope that's used.

Uses

• Nuclear energy applications within the medicine industry use imaging devices and isotope materials to diagnose and treat a number of conditions, and in many cases make the need for exploratory surgery unnecessary. These methods can also be used to track and analyze blood flow and heart function. Imaging devices are also used to examine bone health and function. Further developments within nuclear medicine seek to use imaging devices as a way to record cellular-molecular processes within the body. This capability will enable doctors to correct the genetic or DNA characteristics of diseased cells and tissues.