Introduction to Mechatronics and Measurement Systems, 3rd edition [Book Review]

Ionizing Radiation Detectors for Medical Imaging Alberto Del Guerra, World Scientific, November 2004. ISBN: 981-238-674-2, 524 pages, US$68. We have really come a long way since the discovery of X rays—to a point now where medical images and radiological scanners appear frequently in movies, billboards, and media advertisements. Given this juncture where high-tech biomedical imaging and nuclear technologies are receiving enormous attention both in science and media, Alberto Del Guerra has assembled in this book his own vast experience in the field of imaging detector instrumentation and an expert panel of European contributors. The book focuses solely on ionizing detectors used in computed tomography, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, etc.—as opposed to nonionizing detectors that are used in ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and spectroscopy. This book, in general, presents a solid way of appreciating the importance of sensors, transducers, and their material selection in medical imaging, which are discussed fairly less as compared to the applied physics and signal analysis behind imaging. Composed of ten chapters, the book is bifurcated into two segments, one-half dedicated to radiology and the other to nuclear medicine. Throughout the volume, the emphasis is on detectors and detector properties, and based on necessity, the authors describe the software and specific applications to manageable depths. The work is directed toward upperlevel undergraduates, graduate students, and the research and practitioner population in the areas of nuclear medicine, imaging, and radiology. Appropriately for this audience, the chapters stress the recognition of instrumentation and clinical applications rather than the intricacies of mathematics and signal processing, since the latter are more appropriately covered in many other publications. The discussions include succinct summaries and numerous illustrations of ionizing detectors with details of their application in relevant scanning modalities. Although obvious to a practicing radiologist, much of the pathology is merely indicated but not briefed in context, leaving the images somewhat enigmatic. However, outweighing these limitations are the thoughtful nature of the reviews and the depth of experience represented by the authors. This book accumulates previously dispersed observations on detector physics and instrumentation into one edition that serves as a good reference for students, academics, and practicing professionals alike. My only request to the authors for the next edition would be to pay extra attention to editorial consistency and to provide better images. —Guruprasad Madhavan State University of New York, Binghamton