Medical Physics Services

The **Medical Physics department** at NORI ensures the safe and effective operation of **gamma cameras** through rigorous **Quality Assurance (QA)** protocols. Gamma cameras are essential in nuclear medicine, used for imaging the distribution of radiopharmaceuticals within a patient’s body, providing critical information for the diagnosis and treatment of various conditions. The QA program includes routine calibration, performance testing, and maintenance of gamma cameras to ensure they produce accurate, high-resolution images required for precise diagnostic interpretations. One key aspect of QA in gamma camera systems is **image quality assessment**. The Medical Physics team regularly evaluates parameters such as spatial resolution, uniformity, sensitivity, and the detection efficiency of the gamma camera. These assessments are essential to ensure that the system generates clear images with minimal artifacts, which is critical for diagnosing diseases accurately. In addition, **radiation safety** is an integral part of the QA process. The Medical Physics department ensures that radiation exposure to both patients and staff is minimized by optimizing imaging protocols and monitoring radiation levels. The team conducts routine checks of shielding, camera performance, and dose calculations to ensure adherence to radiation safety guidelines, including the **As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA)** principle. Through regular audits, equipment evaluations, and close collaboration with nuclear medicine technologists and physicians, the Medical Physics department ensures that the gamma camera systems at NORI continue to provide reliable, safe, and high-quality imaging services.

The **Medical Physics department** at NORI provides specialized **Quality Assurance (QA)** services for **SPECT/CT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography)** systems, ensuring the accuracy, safety, and performance of these hybrid imaging devices. SPECT/CT combines functional imaging from SPECT with the anatomical detail provided by CT, making it a powerful diagnostic tool. The QA program involves regular calibration, performance testing, and maintenance to ensure both the SPECT and CT components work seamlessly together to produce high-quality images. One of the critical aspects of QA in SPECT/CT is the **alignment and fusion of SPECT and CT images**. The Medical Physics team routinely tests the system to ensure that the functional data from SPECT aligns accurately with the anatomical detail from CT. Any misalignment can lead to diagnostic errors, so precise calibration of the imaging systems is essential. Another important focus is **dose optimization** for both the radiopharmaceuticals used in the SPECT imaging and the radiation exposure from the CT scan. The Medical Physics department ensures that the doses are kept as low as possible while maintaining image quality, following the **As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA)** principle. The team regularly assesses radiation exposure levels and adjusts protocols as necessary to protect both patients and staff. In addition, the department evaluates **image quality** by checking parameters such as spatial resolution, contrast, and noise in both SPECT and CT images. By conducting regular equipment assessments, audits, and ensuring compliance with national and international safety guidelines, the Medical Physics department ensures that the SPECT/CT systems at NORI deliver accurate, reliable, and safe diagnostic services.

The **Medical Physics department** at NORI provides essential **Quality Assurance (QA)** services for **PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography)** cameras, ensuring the precise performance of these advanced hybrid imaging systems. PET/CT combines functional imaging from PET with detailed anatomical imaging from CT, making it a powerful tool for diagnosing cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. The QA process involves regular calibration, performance testing, and equipment maintenance to ensure both the PET and CT components function optimally and in sync. A key aspect of QA in PET/CT imaging is ensuring the **accurate fusion of PET and CT images**. The Medical Physics team regularly performs alignment checks to guarantee that the metabolic information from the PET scan accurately corresponds to the anatomical structures captured by the CT scan. Misalignment between these two sets of data could lead to diagnostic errors, making this an essential part of the QA process. **Radiation dose management** is another critical area of focus. In PET/CT, patients are exposed to radiation from both the injected radiopharmaceuticals for the PET scan and the X-rays from the CT scan. The Medical Physics team ensures that radiation doses are kept as low as possible while maintaining the necessary image quality for accurate diagnoses, following the **As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA)** principle. They monitor and adjust protocols to optimize patient and staff safety. Additionally, the Medical Physics department regularly evaluates **image quality** for both the PET and CT components, ensuring that the system provides high-resolution, artifact-free images for accurate clinical interpretation. By conducting routine audits, system evaluations, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and safety standards, the department ensures that the PET/CT cameras at NORI provide reliable, safe, and high-quality diagnostic imaging services.